


Louisiana Style

by crazyTXgradstudent



Category: Tab Benoit (Musician)
Genre: Big Oil, Cajun, Don't Read This, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Louisiana, blues music, hahahaha, no really don't
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-23 05:03:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 46,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4864160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazyTXgradstudent/pseuds/crazyTXgradstudent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because gumbo is seriously my most favorite thing to eat ever, and you can never go wrong with it.  Put whatever the hell you want in there.  As long as you got the roux right - the base - you gonna have a good gumbo.  I am of the opinion that this is true in life too.  No matter where people come from, as long as the foundation between you is good, it's gonna be alright.  </p><p>Get your roux right and everything else just falls in place...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Ruby’s Roadhouse in Mandeville, LA – 2012**

 

Danielle grabbed her third or fourth beer - she’d lost count now - and headed back over to the table full of women. Her friend, Michelle, was getting married and now she was back up in Mandeville for the wedding in a few days. Having spent the past few years abroad, she was glad to be back in Louisiana. Everything just moved a lot slower here, and that was a welcome change from the sometimes fast-paced life she had been living overseas. Her friend’s wedding was also a respite from the tragedy that had happened over the past month, and Danielle welcomed the distraction, however short-lived it might be. 

“Take another shot!” Michelle giggled as she tilted her shot glass up to her lips. Danielle smiled from behind her beer. Michelle was well on her way to being completely plastered, and it was quite funny to watch. Brought back lots of memories from when she and her girlfriends were young and crazy.  Michelle was always the life of the party, and it was always assumed that she’d be the last one to get married, but now only Danielle remained as the single girl in their circle of friends.  Karen, to Danielle’s left, was married for a few years now and had kids of her own. Shayla was pregnant with her first baby, and Lori, and Aubrey, and Kayla were all married, but had yet to have kids.  Danielle was the only one left unattached. While it had been a bone of contention with her father, she couldn’t have cared less that she was pushing 32 and was still unmarried. There was plenty of time for that, she’d always thought.  We always thought we had more time, but life had a funny way of pulling the rug out from under you without at a moment's notice.  It had been bad enough when they'd lost her mother...

Danielle took a sip of her beer as she swallowed down the lump that had quickly formed as she thought of her daddy. Now it didn’t matter when she had kids, or if she got married, or what she did with her life. Her father was gone, and he would never get to see his grandkids if she ever did have them. She sighed, doing her best to push that painful reality from her mind before it overwhelmed her.  It was still too raw, too fresh, and she needed to focus on the task at hand – getting Michelle married. Once that was done, Danielle could grieve and take care of business on her own. And lord did she have business to take care of!  Shaking her head at herself, she took another long sip of her beer and did her best to smile over at her inebriated friend. _Worry about it later, Dani.  Worry about it later,_ she mentally coached herself.

The bachelorette party looked up when the crowd started to cheer, and Danielle couldn’t help but do a double-take when the lead singer took the stage. _Tab Benoit._   It was most definitely him; she'd recognized that long, lean frame anywhere, and his unhurried, unassuming saunter was still the same as she remembered.  She’d known he was gonna be here, but she wasn’t prepared to see him.  _Not even a little bit._   A part of her had tried half-heartedly to get out of the bachelorette party, but alas, here she was...and there he was.  After saying hello to the crowd, she watched as he walked over and took a seat on the bar stool setting center stage.  Most concerts she had been too were much louder, and way more interactive, so this was a different vibe all-together.   It was obvious these people had probably seen him before, as all quieted as he readied his guitar.  She'd never seen him perform before, so when the lights finally dimmed and he started playing and singing,  it quite literally took her breath away.  Playing was not even an adequate word for what he did with that beat-up guitar, and she found herself watching him, just as enraptured as the rest of the crowd.  God damn but he was good! _And lord have mercy_ , but had his voice gotten deeper than before?  How was that even possible?

 

She’d known the Benoit family for years, as they’d all lived in Houma growing up, and everyone knew everyone in Houma.  Tab was considerably older than her – maybe 44 or 45 now, but she wasn’t sure – and to say there was no love lost between their families was quite an understatement. Well, at least from Tab’s perspective anyway.  Tab’s father had been a driller, so he knew the importance of the oil in this region’s economy, and what that meant for the financial stability of the residents of that area.  He and Danielle’s father, Larry Bourgeois, had been business partners, even played golf together!  Tab, on the other hand, had become the face of Southern Louisiana’s coastal restoration and conservation movement, and had received the Conservationist of the Year award for Louisiana a few years back. She could remember quite a few times when Tab would square off with not only his father, but her father as well, and she cringed thinking about the arguments that would always ensue between the three men. She tried to stay out of it, but when Tab had hurled some nasty words in her father’s direction, she couldn’t help but get involved too.

When Tab glanced over in her general direction, she ducked her head, hoping that she could get out of here without being seen.  She was pretty sure he couldn't see her, as they were way in the back and it was incredibly crowded, but she didn't want to take any chances.  She snorted; he probably didn't even remember her.  It had been almost 4 years since she'd seen him, and she was hoping she wouldn't break the streak tonight.  Last thing she needed was a run-in with Tab.  He could be hot-headed when he wanted to be, and she was no shrinking violet herself; the two of them together was like oil and water. 

As she peeked at him from behind her beer bottle, she could tell that he’d matured from last she'd seen him, but hadn’t changed much insofar as looks.  He was still ruggedly handsome – she would always begrudgingly concede to that fact – and now he sported a short beard with his dark, curly head of hair.  His simple jeans and dark, purple, button-down shirt looked like something he'd thrown on at the last minute, but all it did was add to the brooding emotions he was dragging out with this first song.   She could hear some of the women close by, all chattering and giggling at how "hot" he was, and she couldn't rightly disagree with their observations.  She’d had a crush on him for as long as she could remember when growing up, even when he’d pretty much declared war on her family - _and that most certainly included her_ \- for their oil business. There was just always something about him that drew her in; even when she couldn't stand him, it didn't change the fact that she had always been attracted to him, and that she always got nervous butterflies in her stomach when he was around.  Obviously, that still hadn't changed, because she had felt her heart rate quicken as he'd walked out,  just as it always did when he was near.

The last time she’d seen him was when she was getting ready to go overseas for the first time. Her father had sent her to handle some contracts for some new pipeline products, and she had taken the opportunity to explore the world.  Once gone, she only came back every so often, and that was far and few between.  She was 27 when she left, so he would have been about 40 or 41, maybe?  She’d heard through the grapevine that he had finally made it big in his musical career, and that he was really active in the Louisiana Wetlands conservation movement.  It was at a meeting between local oil companies, conservationists, and the local government that Danielle had felt the full measure of his disgust towards her family. She'd been back from overseas so that she could help her father, and things had gone from bad to worse with Tab and the big oil heads.  She grimaced as she remembered just how bad it had gotten that day.

 He’d actually called her a bitch that day, right to her fucking face!  It still stung, and she was still kicking herself for not saying anything to him after he’d called her that.

She said nothing to him, not one damn word in response to his calling her a _"spoiled, clueless little bitch who don't know her ass from a hole in the ground."_ She snorted, thinking that it was funny how she could still remember that verbatim...

Not only had _s_ he _not_ said anything in return, but like a pathetic coward she’d broken down in tears and run from the room, leaving her father to battle it out with Tab.  Apparently that was one of the times when it almost came to blows between Tab and her father, and all because that hot-headed idiot had called her a bitch.  That experience, coupled with the few run-ins between Tab Benoit and her late father that she’d unfortunately been privy to later on, had convinced her to stay clear from him from that point after.  Now, she would do anything to avoid a repeat.  He'd really have a field day when he found out she was in charge now, that the oil company that he hated so much was now resting solely in her hands, to do with as she would. 

As it were, she still had no idea what she was going to do with her father’s company that he’d left entrusted to her. It had been just a little over a month since he'd passed so suddenly, and honestly, she’d not wanted to come home and deal with it.  Only Michelle’s wedding had forced her back.  Now, she was here, and the shareholders wanted to know what the verdict was. Sell the company, shut it down, or keep it running?  What was she going to do?  She had no idea, she really did not.  Her heart was telling her one thing, while her brain told her something else.

While living abroad, Danielle had seen the world and come to appreciate the things she’d missed by being the daughter of an oilman. While her father cared for the environment as much as a businessman could, his ultimate goal was to make money, and to do that, you had to drill. To drill was to tear up land, to reroute canals and bayous – to do all the things Tab and the rest of the environmentalists wanted to put a stop to.  She'd never understood how Tab could be so blind to the way of life, to be so dismissive of people who'd made their living in the oilfields for so long.  That was until she was able to look from the outside in, and that was when she realized _just how blind she'd been_ to the destruction wrought by her father and Tab's father, and by the Corps of Engineers, and other oil companies.   As she had traveled the world and seen the destruction in other places caused by similar man-made infrastructure, she had begun to question her father’s company, and, honestly, that had been a great part of her decision to remain overseas past her initial contract; in doing so, she hadn’t been forced to actively work in the company.   Even though it was cowardly, it was out of sight, out of mind, really, and she could pretend like it wasn't really happening. 

Now, she was all that was left and the business was in her hands. Did she shut it down, throw away everything her father had worked for and cost hundreds of families to lose their jobs? She wanted no part in the continual destruction of the coast and of her birthplace, but she also knew that the families depended on her to keep the company running for their futures. How could she, in good conscience, let all these people go because she felt convicted about the environment? God if she wasn’t in between a rock and a hard place! Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the remainder of her beer and headed to get another one as Tab started to play a much livelier song.  The crowd started milling about, moving closer to the stage, and she was thankful for the cover.  With it being so dark, and so crowded and smoky, the odds were in her favor that they wouldn't run into each other.  It would be sooner rather than later that she'd inevitably have to face him at some business or town hall meeting...


	2. Chapter 2

Two hours later, Danielle had helped her very inebriated friends get a very inebriated Michelle out to their car.   Everybody was drunk, except for maybe Aubrey, who was supposed to be the designated driver, but Michelle had to be carried out.  Literally.  It was all chaotic, and just as they were getting ready to leave, Danielle realized she'd forgotten her phone inside. Or lost it, she couldn't be sure.  It was fine, she assured Aubrey, as her friend tried to follow her back inside and help look for it.  Danielle told her friend to just go, to get her other friends home, and to not worry about her.   She'd driven her truck here, but she knew she was more than a little buzzed, and was in no shape to drive, and she'd hang around until she sobered up enough,  or she'd find another way home.  Michelle and Kayla had both started getting sick to their stomachs, so they needed to go home time now.  Finally Aubrey agreed, and the bulk of the bachelorette party was gone, leaving Danielle standing alone in the parking lot and watching them drive off.  With a sigh, she turned back to the Roadhouse.

She headed back inside to try to find her cell phone, wondering how in the hell it had been lost in the shuffle and trying to think where it might be. Thankfully, the room was almost empty now, with only a few people milling about, so maybe she could spot it if it was still there.  She pushed past a few drunk patrons, wrinkling her nose at the smell of alcohol and cigarettes.  The place didn't really have a closing time, and it was obvious some of these people were going to stay until the sun came up!  She made a bee-line to their previous table and bent over to see if she could find her cell phone. Not seeing it, she sighed in frustration and stood.   Just her luck.  Someone probably found it and took it!  Fucking asshole thieves!

“Son of a bitch!” she grumbled as she looked around the room. The door off to the side of the stage flew open, and Tab walked back out, and wouldn’t you know his eyes landed right on Danielle.  She gulped and quickly looked away, doing her best to not draw any unwanted attention from him. She turned back to the table, wondering what the hell to do.   She wanted to run before he realized who she was, but she also knew all of her life was on that damned cell phone, and she needed to find it!  From the corner of her eye, she could tell that he was moving her way.  Damn. 

“Well, well…what you know? Little Miss Bourgeois come back from her worldly travels.” Tab’s voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Danielle thought he may be a little drunk, but you never could tell with him and the way he spoke.  While he was always cold to her, he’d never preemptively come after her to be a rude asshole like he was now, and she could feel her body tense up.  Unlike before, she’d done nothing to provoke him this time, that was for damn sure!  She turned her gaze back up at him, and was shocked to see him standing not 5 feet away from her. 

Yep. There went those damn butterflies in her stomach, all over again.  _Fuck!_   All the people she had dealt with overseas, the big names and corporate heads, and this asshole still had the ability to reduce her to a mess of frayed nerves and stomach-churning anxiety!

“Hello, Tab. How are you?”  She forced a smile and attempted to speak in a neutral tone, but even she could hear the wariness in her voice.   Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced up at his eyes, but quickly looked away.   How was he able to do this to her, just by being close?   She couldn't even meet his eyes, for fuck's sake!

“I’m fuckin’ great. Wish I’d known we had a celebrity here, cause I sure as hell would have called you up on the stage.”  Tab moved closer, and Danielle cast her eyes downward at his harsh tone. “That way all these good people can see the daughter of the man who’s continuing to fuck up Louisiana with his greed.”  Tab looked around, one brow arched sardonically. “Where is your daddy, anyways?”

Danielle was shocked, and her head jerked up to stare angrily at the man before her.  Did he really not know, or was he just being an asshole of ginormous proportions right now?  With him she could never tell, stupid fucking asshole! 

“He let you come out here alone, then?  That's a first, if I remember correctly.”  Tab crossed his arms over his chest as he patronizingly stared down his nose at her.  “Bet he didn’t know I was gonna be here, or he surely-“

“My father’s dead, Tab.  The company is mine, and I don’t know what I’m gonna do with it yet,” she spat, her fist balled in anger against her hips. She watched as Tab rocked back on his heels at her news.

“Dead?  What do you mean dead?”  Tab asked incredulously. 

“What the fuck do you think I mean! Dead. Heart attack. Probably brought on by stress from some asshole like you!” Danielle felt the tears well in her eyes as she thought about her father dying alone in his room. She’d not made it in time for the funeral, and even now, it was all very surreal to think that he wasn’t going to be at home waiting for her as he’d always done. After her mother’s death when Danielle was just a teenager, she and her father had become thick as thieves, and rightly so.  They were all they had left in the world after all.  Tab's observation of her being uncharacteristically alone was right - any time she was in town, she spent most, if not all, of her time with her father.  It's just the way it was, the way it had always been. 

“Hey, I’m sorry, okay?” Tab offered apologetically. 

“Fuck off, Benoit!” Danielle sniffled as she shoved past him to make her way to the bar. She needed to find her damn cell phone! She leaned across the bar and stared back into the kitchen, hoping to find someone to help her out. “Excuse me? Hello!” She called, hoping that by some miracle someone had turned in her phone.  When no one came forward from the back, Danielle turned around in frustration. Of fucking course Tab was right next to her again, leaned up against the bar. Could this night get any better?

“Dani,” Tab began, and she was immediately aggravated by his use of her nickname.

“What?” She hissed. “Leave me alone, Tab! I don’t have time to deal with your shit tonight!”  God! Her eyes were filling with tears and she could barely see into her purse where she was desperately trying to find her keys.  Everyone was gone, and now she was here, and this asshole was here, and she couldn’t get out of here quick enough.  Fuck!

Tab reached over and pulled her purse from her hands and dug her keys out of it.

“You sure you can drive, Dani?” Tab asked gently, and for whatever reason, Dani felt another wave of tears threaten to overtake her at what sounded like concern for her.

“Give me my keys, Tab!” She held her hand out, gesturing for him to give her keys to her.  He didn’t.

“You been drinking?”

“Give. Me. My. Keys,” Danielle ordered him in a clipped tone, but Tab was not deterred, and only shook his head at her in disagreement.

“Nah.  I think I’ll take you home.” He shoved her keys in his pocket as he handed her purse back to her. Danielle stood, sputtering in anger, as Tab walked over to let his bassist, Corey, know what was going on.  She was still fuming when he returned. “You ready?”

“No. I wish you would just give me my keys, and let me be!”  She glared at him, hoping he would get the message.

“Well, that ain’t gonna happen, so I guess you better just come on, then.” Not waiting for her response, Tab started walking to the door, and Danielle had no choice but to follow him. Once outside, she followed him over to his truck.  Or so she thought.  They walked past the remaining cars, only to stop before a red Harley Ultra-Classic. Danielle looked at the bike, then up at Tab, and then back down at the bike.

“I’m not riding on that with you.” She stubbornly shook her head at his motorcycle.  Ignoring her, Tab busied himself with unbuckling the only helmet and handed it to her.

“Yeah, you are. Put it on.” He stared down at her just as mulishly, and pushed the helmet towards her. 

Danielle angrily snatched the helmet from his hand and placed it on her head.  She was beyond aggravated right now, so fucking infuriated she could spit!  Fuck, aggravated wasn’t even an appropriate word for what she was!  But, she knew she was too drunk to drive, and her friends had pretty much deserted her, so what the hell else could she do?  Her fingers were clumsy in her anger as she tried to snap the chin strap in place, but the stupid piece of shit wouldn’t latch! After watching her struggle for a few moments,  Tab swatted her hands away, and adjusted the chin strap so that it fit her small face, and pressed the button in with a snap. She was glad it was only a half-helmet, but still she felt like an idiotic child looking up at him from underneath the helmet.  She felt absolutely ridiculous, and Tab’s apparent humor at her get-up didn’t help the situation at all.

“Good girl,” he grinned as he patted her on top of the helmet.  That got him another glare, but he just laughed to himself. He pulled a few things out of his pockets - his wallet, cell phone, a notepad -  and placed them in the storage compartment before throwing one long leg over the seat and climbing on the bike. He looked back over his shoulder at her.

“Come on.” He jerked his head, and turned back to the instrument panel. 

With a huff, Danielle very ungracefully clambered onto the back of the bike and sat stiffly behind Tab. The bike was way bigger, and much taller than her short stature, and she was just barely able to stand on her tip-toes as she tried to maintain some distance from him. She was doing her damnedest to not touch him any more than was necessary.  Without warning her,  Tab started the bike, jostling her from her precarious position, and she instinctively grasped the back of his shirt to steady herself as the bike rumbled to life.  Just as quickly, she released him.

“No, you gonna need to hold on,” Tab threw over his shoulder. He was paying her no mind as he adjusted some controls on the dash and revved the engine a few times. Reluctantly, Danielle held on to fistfuls of his shirt along his sides, still determined to not touch him if she could manage it.  Holding his shirt was as close as she was gonna get, goddamnit!

“Put your feet up on the pegs,” Tab;s voice was loud as he nodded down at her feet. 

Finding the foot pegs, Danielle placed her feet there, and let out a great big breath of relief.  She was grateful, as her legs had been trembling with the strain of holding herself up right for so long. Tab started rolling the bike forward, and Danielle felt her breath catch with anxiety. She’d only been on the back of a motorcycle a few times, and that had terrified the shit out of her.  She was not afraid of motorcycles, not in the least.  However, it was one thing when you were the one driving…it was an entirely different thing when someone else was!

“Hold on!” Tab called as he maneuvered them out onto the street. 

Danielle nearly lost her grip as he sped off, and she frantically wrapped her hands around his chest and pressed her helmeted head against his back in an effort to not fall off. Her thighs clenched tightly around his, holding her in place as she clung to him like a damn monkey.  Damnit! Frustrated with herself, but knowing there was nothing that could be done, she closed her eyes and held on tightly as they flew down the dark roads toward Houma.  She was both terrified and exhilarated - all at that the same time!  She would do her best to ignore the feelings in her body as she was pressed up so close to Tab, to ignore the smell of his cologne as it overwhelmed her, to not snuggle into the warmth of his back, but fuck if it wasn't hard. The ease with which he operated the bike was comparable to how he played that guitar, and she was more than a little flustered at what she was feeling.  _Was there anything this man couldn’t do?_ And why the hell was she so…unsettled…around him? She hated him, and he hated her.

She could feel his lean muscles ripple under her hands where she gripped his chest with one hand, and abdomen with the other hand.  As he shifted gears, she could feel the muscles in his back tighten and loosen against her, and she wondered again at her wayward thoughts.  This Tab was much different than the one she'd left a few years back.  He seemed so sure of himself now, almost mature even.  She nearly snorted to herself!  _Mature?_ He was nearly 12 years older than her!  God, she was so confused around him and her thoughts made no sense!

"You alright?"  He yelled over his shoulder, causing her to grip him even tighter as he jerked her out of her musings.

"Just hurry up!"  Danielle yelled back, still very frustrated.  She felt Tab laugh, the deep rumble vibrating against her cheek and he shifted against her.

"You want me to go faster?"  Tab hollered as he sped up.  Danielle nearly climbed up his back as the she felt the force of the motorcycle rocketing forward and nearly lifting her off the seat. 

"Slow down!" She screamed against his back, and the jerk had the nerve to laugh again.   He did slow the bike back down to a reasonable speed, and she relaxed her grip on him just marginally.  She could feel herself trembling against him, and she inwardly cursed herself for being so damn fragile.  Tab's hand came up and covered hers where she had it resting against his chest, and he squeezed her hand tightly, reassuringly.  

"I'm sorry, Dani! I won't do that again!"  He yelled again over his shoulder. 

Danielle didn't reply.  His long fingers had wrapped around hers, and she closed her eyes to try to clear up the confusion at what that did to her.  How was it possible that she could be so affected with just a simple touch like that?   That set off a chain reaction in her body, and she could feel her nipples hardening as her breasts were pressed against his back.  Thank god she had on a hoodie over her blouse, or he surely would have felt _that_ through his thin shirt.  The rumble of the bike's engine vibrated through her body, and that,  combined with being pressed up next to him so intimately - _he was literally between her thighs!_ \- was almost enough to send her over the damn edge.  She squirmed restlessly, trying to put some distance between them, but at the same time not wanting to move away. 

He e hadn't even touched her.  And she hated him, and he hated her, remember?

"How much longer?" She yelled against his back. 

"About 45 minutes," Tab yelled back. 

Danielle pressed her face against his back again, closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.  She wasn't gonna make it.  45 minutes sounded like an eternity, especially in this position.  Lord have mercy!

 


	3. Chapter 3

True to his word, it was a  little over 45 minutes later when Tab rolled into her parent’s driveway.   She was still plastered to his back, and truth be told, had fallen asleep a few times, lulled by the engine and the warmth of his broad back.  Yawning, she released her grip on him and leaned back a bit as they finally came to a stop right next to the porch steps.

“Can you get off, or you need help?” Tab asked softly as he shut the engine off. 

He stood up, still straddling the bike to hold it steady and waited.  Behind him, Danielle looked around as she tried to figure out the best way to get off the damn bike.  Deciding there was no good way, she slid off to her left, hopping on her foot as she struggled to pull her other leg over the seat. She instinctively grabbed Tab’s shoulder for support as she did so, and finally, she was free. Tab got off the bike much easier than her, what with his long-ass legs, and walked around to Danielle.  He reached up under her chin, undid the button that she was still fumbling with, and pulled the helmet off her head.  She self-consciously smoothed her hair down, knowing it was probably flat as fuck now.

“Look, Dani, I’m sorry about earlier,” Tab said softly.

“Yeah, well, whatever,” Danielle dismissed him and started marching up the steps to her parent’s house.  She swallowed hard, knowing that no one was inside waiting for her except for her dad’s old dog, Blue.  She hadn’t been here since she got back – had stayed at a hotel instead while a neighbor looked after the dog.  Tonight was the first time she was going to be in her family home, and she was alone. How she was gonna do this, she had no idea.   She sucked in a deep, shaky breath as she reached in her purse for her keys, only to remember that the asshole still had them.  She turned around and found him right next to her on the porch.

“Please give me my keys, Tab,” Danielle whispered towards his chest as she held her hand out.  Her hand was trembling when Tab dropped the keys into her palm.

“I didn’t know, Dani,” Tab said, his voice still soft like before. 

Danielle bit her lower lip to keep from breaking down, and began furiously blinking back tears.  _Damn him._ Why was he being so nice after all those years of being a dick to her? And especially now, when she was so vulnerable? The last thing she wanted to do was go inside that house and be alone, but what was the alternative?  She had no one left to turn to. She was completely alone, and she’d never felt it more acutely than she did right now. 

_God! Why did they both have to leave her alone?_

With a strangled cry, a mixture of frustration and grief, she gave in, bowed her head, and started to softly weep.  She couldn’t hold it in any longer; it was too damn hard, and she didn’t care what Tab thought of her anymore.  Surprisingly, he pulled her into his chest, and she started crying even harder as he wrapped his arms around her and held her. She’d not cried - not even once -  since she’d found out about her father’s passing, so it seemed as if the floodgates had been let open, and it was all coming out.  

“I’m so, so sorry, Dani,” Tab murmured against the top of her head.  He moved them both over to the empty rocking chair and sat down, pulling her down on top of him. He held her like a child on his lap, whispering soothing words against the top of her head as her tears soaked the front of his shirt. Eventually Danielle’s tears slowed to sniffles, and occasional hitches in her breath, and she busied herself with the buttons on Tab’s shirt as she contemplated what to do next.  

“You feelin’ better?” Tab asked, his deep voice rumbling against Danielle’s cheek.  She nodded against him. She was feeling better, and surprisingly she didn’t want to get up. She’d not felt this comforted in such a long time, and she was shocked that it was with Tab of all people! _She still hated him…_

“I should probably get up,” Danielle sniffled again as she moved to get off his lap. Tab helped her up and then stood himself.

“What can I do, Dani?” Tab asked gently.  He pushed some hair off her forehead, much as you would with a child.

“You’ve done enough. I need to get to bed, and you probably need to get to wherever you’re going.” She walked over to the front door and opened it. Blue, the old coon hound, bounded out like a maniac and headed straight for the water.  Tab stared after him and then back at Danielle.

“Is he gonna come back?”

“I don’t fuckin’ know,” Danielle muttered as she wearily walked inside the house.  She didn’t know and she really didn’t care right now what that damn dog did. He was always running off, and tonight she totally did not feel like running after him again.  Not bothering to shut the door, she walked over to the couch, fell down on it in exhaustion,  and wrapped herself up in the blanket that was there.  Tab followed behind her, closing and locking the door. He dropped down on the couch next to her, elbow propped up on his knee, and chin in hand as he stared down at her.

“I hate to leave you like this, Dani.  Don’t you have any family you can stay with?”

Danielle snorted as she peeked out from under the blanket and up at Tab. “I’m an only child, remember? _A spoiled little bitch princess that always gets her way_ , right?” She tossed his words back at him, and Tab winced at the memory.

“I was an asshole back then, Dani. Young and hot-headed, and went about things the wrong way. I ain’t like that no more.” Tab’s voice was deep, and he sounded genuinely regretful.

“Asshole is an understatement,” Danielle muttered as she turned over to face the couch back.

“What should I do? Should I go look for the dog?” Tab asked as he stood up. “He don’t need to be running around the bayous, and you know that. Especially not at night.”

Danielle sniffled, and again she felt the heavy weight of tears threatening to fall. She didn’t have the energy to go chase that damn dog around. She didn’t have the energy to be in Michelle’s wedding.  She didn’t have the energy to face the shareholders. She didn’t have the energy to face the families. She just didn’t have the energy to do anything but lay on this couch. This house smelled like home, and the blanket smelled like her father, and she was about to lose it again...

“I don’t…don’t care…” she hiccupped out. “I can’t deal with it...Tab...so please just let me be.”  She was crying again, hot tears that rolled down her cheeks and landed on the couch seat.

She’d never felt so broken in her entire life, and she literally wanted to crawl into a hole and die.  She felt the couch dip, and then felt the warmth of Tab's lips as he kissed her on her temple.  For a moment her breath caught, her tears overridden by that simple touch as she lay in shock.  What in the hell had he just done?

“I’m gonna go find that damn dog, and take care of a few things for ya.  Just get some rest, sweetie.” Tab stood up and tucked the blanket in around her before disappearing. When she heard the door shut, she warily looked over her shoulder. 

He was gone, but she could see the tell-tale bob of a flashlight through the living room window as he walked across the yard looking for Blue.  What in the fuck was going on?  Of all the people in the world, Tab was the _last_ person she thought would be helping her out.  Groaning, she turned back over and snuggled into the blanket.  She’d worry about Tab Benoit tomorrow.  Right now, the only thing she cared about was getting some sleep.

* * *

 

The next day, Danielle awoke to the smell of bacon. 

Bacon?

She sat up, her brows drawn together as she looked around her childhood home.  From where she was at on the couch, she couldn’t see the kitchen, but she knew someone was in there. She quickly crawled off the couch, wrapping the blanket around her as she made her way over to where the smell of food was coming from.  Tab was there, leaned up against the counter as he pushed the bacon around with the spatula. He had one piece at his mouth as he chewed, and she watched as he tossed another piece down to Blue. That traitorous dog was staring up at Tab with adoration, his idiotic tail slapping the ground behind him as drool hung down from his long jowls. Danielle narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat, causing both Tab and Blue to look her direction.

“Well good mornin’, sunshine,” Tab grinned over at her. “How you feelin’?” He turned back to the stove and scooped the cooked bacon out on the plate he was holding. He piled some scrambled eggs on the plate and carried it over to the kitchen table.

“Come on and eat, Dani.”

Still frowning in confusion, Danielle did as he asked and walked over to the table and sat before the plate of food. She couldn’t deny she was starving, but it was hard for her to accept food from him. She glanced up at him warily, eyes narrowed. 

“Did you poison it?”

Shaking his head at her, Tab reached down and stole a piece of bacon off her plate and popped it in his mouth.

“Happy now?” He asked as he walked back into the kitchen and fixed his own plate.  When he sat down across from her, Danielle looked at him suspiciously.

“Uhm…where did you stay at last night?”  It just occurred to her that he may have stayed here, with her, in this house, and she was none the wiser.  Shaking her head, she grimaced and swore that she would never, ever drink again.  Ever.

“Well, I spent most of the night out there looking for that dog.” Tab cut his eyes over at Blue. The dog had the wherewithal to at least look a little guilty, and licked his lips before slinking out of the kitchen. “By the time I found him, it was after 3 a.m., so yeah, I crashed on the recliner.”

“You stayed out til 3 am looking for Blue?” Danielle stared at him with wide eyes. Tab shrugged nonchalantly, acting as if he spent lots of evenings out looking for dogs that belonged to his mortal enemy.

“Dogs don’t belong out on the bayous late at night, Dani. You know that as well as I do.  End up gator bait.”  He lazily chewed on another piece of bacon, and Dani couldn’t help but notice how deliciously scruffy he looked this morning. 

Damn him and that beard!  And would someone please explain why he was being so nice to her???

She grabbed her toast and set to it, doing anything she could to keep abreast of whatever this thing was she was feeling for the man before her. He was an asshole, and she needed to remember that for damn sure. She didn’t even like him. She doggedly chewed on her toast and looked out the window.

“Well, thank you.” She mumbled reluctantly. Tab chuckled, drawing her eyes back to him.

“That damn near killed you, didn’t it?” He laughed again as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Danielle rolled her eyes as she responded. 

“Look, you don’t like me, I don’t like you, and this is all very weird, so let’s not make it something it’s not, okay?  We're not friends, and we've never been friends, and we'll probably never be friends.” Danielle stared at him pointedly, but could feel her cheeks blooming with embarrassment at being so blatantly rude to him.  Especially after all he’d done for her last night and today. She was really an ungrateful bitch, but she couldn’t take those words back now that they'd left her mouth.  This was so out of character for her to behave this way, even for someone that she disliked so much!

Silence settled over the room, and uncomfortable quiet that was only broken by the sound of the clock ticking on the wall, and Danielle felt herself wanting to crawl under the table in embarrassment.

Tab was solemn as he stared back at her, all traces of humor gone.  He slowly ran a hand over his face and bearded jaw, and then stood up and pushed his chair under the table. Danielle looked away.   Without a word, he carried his plate into the kitchen and she could hear him putting it in the sink.  She continued nibbling on her toast, but her appetite was completely gone.  The awkwardness, the tension between them was back, and she knew that Tab felt it just as much as her. This time, though, it was her fault, as she'd been the rude-ass instigator. 

“Well, I’m gonna get, then.” Tab came back into the dining area, and picked up his cell and wallet from off the table.  He didn’t look at her, and Danielle could tell by his stiff, jerky movements that he was angry. 

She did nothing, and stubbornly sat in her chair and stared out the window.  As Tab walked out of the house, she almost felt like running after him and apologizing, but still she did nothing.  She heard his motorcycle roar to life, and she couldn’t help but run to the window and peek out from behind the curtains.  He was definitely angry, if the way he kicked the kickstand, and slammed the storage compartment shut was any indication.  She watched as he rolled the bike back and turned it around, and then he was gone. 

She walked back to the dining room and grabbed her plate and carried it into the kitchen. 

"Here, Blue!" She called and the dog came trotting into the kitchen.  She dumped the contents of her plate, and the remainder of the food on the stove, into Blue's bowl.  She didn't have the energy to clean up, so she set her plate in the sink.  She'd clean up later.  She walked back to the living room, wrapped herself up in the blanket, and crawled back on the couch. 

Everything could wait for a few more hours at least....


	4. Chapter 4

“Go away…” Danielle mumbled as she pushed at the wetness on her cheek.  More sniffing, and another long, wet swipe of what felt like a tongue against her cheek had her practically leaping from the couch. 

Blue stared back at her with baleful eyes, his tail just barely moving as he stared up at her from his spot in front of her.

“What?” Danielle grumbled in annoyance as she scooted off the couch and stood. “I’m not letting you outside again so you can run away.”

Blue trotted after her as she walked into the kitchen and looked around for a leash, or something to put the him on.  Tab might have gone out looking for the dog, but she sure as hell wasn’t! She liked dogs well enough, but not enough to go traipsing about the swamp in the middle of the damn night.  She finally found a long chain on the back porch, and a few moments later had tied one end to a rail on the porch, and the other end she looped around Blue’s collar.  It was makeshift, but it would do for now.  Once he was settled, she headed back inside and into the kitchen. The remainder of breakfast was still there, sitting in the sink, and her thoughts went back to Tab.

She had been a complete bitch to him, and if she were to just base it off last night, he didn’t deserve it at all.  After their initial run-in, he’d been nothing but kind to her, helpful even. She sat down at the table and drew her legs up, her chin resting on top of her knees as she remembered how he’d held her when she cried. 

 _Wow._ She'd sat in his lap for probably at least 30 minutes, if not longer, and he'd not protested, or mocked her, or anything.  He just held her and let her cry. 

That was totally unexpected, and the more she thought about it, the more it shocked her. Three or four years ago he would have laughed at her when she cried, much as he did that night he called her a bitch.  She could still hear his snicker as she ran from the room.  But the man she met last night was totally different than that Tab from years before.  She could admit it, even if it pained her to do so.  He said he’d changed, and she was almost inclined to believe him.  Even after she was so rude to him this morning, he hadn’t retaliated; he’d just packed up his things and left.  She couldn't make heads or tails of it....

Outside the window, she could see that Blue had managed to wrap himself up in the chain, and with a sigh, Danielle unfolded herself from the chair and  headed back outside to untangle him. She dragged him back inside by his collar and shut the door, ensuring he wouldn’t escape again.   He quickly ran over to his dog bed in the far corner and hopped up on it, his head hanging down miserably.  Danielle shook her head at him; he was about as useless a dog as they come!  She wondered if he was always this mopey, or if it was because of her father's passing?  He had certainly seemed in a better mood when Tab was here earlier.  She snorted to herself - maybe it was her that made the dog miserable?  

* * *

A few hours later, and Danielle found herself down at the local grocery store in Houma.  She needed to get a few things to eat, and run a few other errands.  The most pressing thing on her list was getting a fence put up around the property.   Chasing Blue all over was not something she planned on doing too often... 

She walked down the aisles of the store, absentmindedly tossing things in the buggy.  Chips, salsa, some milk, bread…usual stuff that she probably wouldn’t eat.  She didn't have much of an appetite lately, that was for sure.   She turned the corner down the beer aisle and grabbed a six-pack of Bud Light.  _Now that, that she would definitely drink._ Thinking twice, she grabbed another six-pack and placed it in her buggy.  She made her way around the store, grabbing various items before heading to the checkout. She was unloading her things when someone tapped her on her arm.

“Dani?”

Danielle looked up, a smile forming as she realized it was one of her father’s good friends and business associates.

“Mr. Robert!” She moved into the older man’s embrace as he hugged her. “How are you?”

“I’m good, Dani. How are you?” Robert kindly smiled down at her as he released her. He was then joined by his wife, Margaret, and for a few moments, they stood talking.  When someone walked up behind Danielle, she quickly paid for her things, and followed Robert and his wife over to the front of the store so that they could chat some more.

“So how are you, Dani?” Margaret asked as she gently touched Danielle’s arm with concern.  Danielle gulped down the lump in her throat and did her best to not fall apart again.

“I’m making it,” she hedged as she gave a tight smile to the older couple.

“I know it’s still early, but have you thought about the company, and what you’re gonna do?” Robert asked, earning a glare from his wife.

“Really, Robert!”

Danielle quickly dismissed the other woman’s complaint with a wave of her hand.

“It’s okay, Ms. Margaret,” Danielle assured her. “Really, it is.” She turned her gaze back up at Robert as she continued. “I’d actually wanted to set up a meeting with you, if you don’t mind? As Daddy’s partner, you know more about the inner workings than I do, and I don’t want to make a decision with bad information.”

Robert nodded down at her. “Anything you need, Dani, you just let us know, okay?”

“Yes, please just holler, okay?” Margaret affirmed her husband's sentiment.

“Thank you both so much.” Danielle smiled as she pulled out her cell phone. “Is this number I have for you still good?” She recited the number her father had given her a while back, and Robert confirmed that it was still in working order.

“Okay, so when can we set something up? I’d like to discuss both keeping the company going,” Danielle stared down at her feet as she continued, “but also possibly dissolving it.”  Silence ensued for a few moments, and Danielle looked up to see the shock written clearly on Robert’s face. “I mean, I don’t know what I want to do, but Daddy’s vision and mine were not exactly aligned, you know?” Danielle rushed out, trying desperately to make Robert understand at least a little of her point of view.  “Look, can we just set up a meeting? Maybe with the city council, and whoever else needs to be there? I am not sure how all this works, but I’d like to get to some sort of resolution, and sooner rather than later.”

Robert nodded, but he was still clearly dumbfounded as his tone was almost breathy when he spoke. “Yes, I’ll get the others together, and we’ll set something up as soon as possible.”

“Okay, thank you.” Danielle smiled again, but Robert wasn’t smiling back this time.  Margaret also seemed to be in shock over Danielle’s statement.

Danielle plastered another fake smile on her face. “I’ll be in touch this week, then?”

With the situation having taken such an awkward turn, all three were happy to end the conversation and head to their respective vehicles. They hurriedly said their goodbyes, and Danielle made her way to her truck and put up her groceries, and headed back towards the house that was now home.   She needed to find a fence company for Blue, so that was next on her list, and she hoped she would pass by one on the way.  Maybe she could run in real quick and get a quote or something…

As she turned down Main Street, she passed by the old studio that she knew had previously belonged to Tab.  If it still did, or did not, she had no idea. The sign was still there, so at least that hadn’t changed. It was where he used to record back when he was not so famous, and she slowed as she passed it.  It was seated up against Bayou Dularge, practically on the water, and looked just as run down as it ever had. The outside walls were still a faded, dirty brown, and the tin roof looked like it was hanging on for dear life. How this building was still standing after all the storms was a miracle in and of itself!  There was a truck parked out front, a silver Ford F250, and she wondered if it was his, and if he was there.  A part of her wanted to stop and apologize for her horrible behavior, while the other part – _the sane part of her brain_ – told her to just keep driving.   She did actually drive past the small building, only to turn into the parking lot right past it and come back around.  Her damn curiousity had gotten the better of her, and she had to know if he was in there!   As she pulled in beside the other truck and parked, she could feel her heart thumping painfully in her chest, and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

 _Just go say you’re sorry, nothing else,_ she coached herself as she scrutinized her face and hair in the mirror.   After smoothing her mass of frizzy curls again - and applying some nude lip gloss - she hopped out and headed up to the front door.  She knocked, and waited.

And knocked again.

And waited some more.

When no one came, she tried the door knob, her brows drawing together when she found it to be unlocked; someone was definitely inside.  She pushed open the door and stepped inside, and could hear the faint sounds of music being played from somewhere in the back.  Almost immediately she felt the weight of the stale air smothering her - a mixture of humidity, dust, and what smelled almost like paint.  It was so damn hot in here, and she immediately started sweating.  Either the air didn’t work, or someone had that shit turned up really high! She fanned herself as she felt the sweat start to gather along her neck line and run down between her breasts in rivulets.  Part of her wanted to run back outside, where, even though it was hot, at least you could fucking breath. It was damn near suffocating in here!

“Hello?” She called as she came fully inside and closed the door behind her.  

When no one answered, she walked down the narrow hallway to find the source of the music.  As she reached the end, the hallway opened up into what she thought was the studio, and she stopped in her tracks at what she saw before her. 

It was Tab, and he was shirtless.

_Shirtless._

She retreated back into the hallway, pressing herself up against the wall and out of sight, as she tried to calm herself down.  She peeked around the corner again quickly, before retreating yet again.  

_Holy fucking shit._

He _was_ shirtless.

She’d never seen him like that.   She cautiously peeked around the corner again, this time fully taking in the sight of him.  He was bare from the waist up, wearing nothing but those damn loose jeans that he always had on.  Over his ears were a pair of thick headphones, and in his hands was his old guitar.  There was a large industrial fan blowing in his direction, and she could see a few buckets of paint scattered about.  Judging by the color on one wall versus the color on the opposite wall, it looked like he had been painting, maybe?  Yeah, she looked at him again more thoroughly; he had been painting, as she could see the paint mask resting at the base of his neck.  _Why the hell wasn’t he wearing that in here with all these odors floating about??_

He had his shirt – or what she assumed was his shirt – shoved in his back pocket, and it dangled down his leg, swaying as he rocked and swayed to whatever tune he was playing. He was facing away from her, and she could see the golden bronze of a summer tan along his broad shoulders and back as it narrowed down to a trim waist.  She frowned a bit as she continued to stare at him.  It seemed like he’d lost weight, and that was not cool, because he was already lean enough.   His muscles were still defined, but he seemed so much thinner than she’d remembered him being. 

Or maybe it was because she’d never seen him with his shirt off.

 _Fuck._ There was that matter of him being shirtless again...

Her childhood crush that she’d had on him was nothing compared to what she was feeling right now as she stared at him from her stalker-hiding spot.  He was really into his song, and she could see the muscles bunching, tightening and tensing as he played the guitar.  His back was glistening with sweat, as were his forearms.  He turned a bit, just giving her a glimpse of his front, and she had to bite her lip to keep from groaning out loud.  His abdomen was well-defined, the muscles there flexing as he moved, and damn if he wasn’t sweaty there too! _Fuck fuck fuck!_   He had just the right amount of dark chest hair, and that combined with the sheen of sweat was just too much!  She reluctantly dragged herself away and again plastered herself against the wall as she contemplated what to do.   She stopped breathing when she heard the music stop, and a silence ensued, only broken by the loud whir of the fan blowing. Fucking great.  How was she going to get out of here now without him hearing her?!

“Dani? Is that you?” Tab’s voice was loud as he called to her from his spot.  Danielle groaned to herself, and clenched her eyes shut tightly as she realized he’d seen her.

_Just absolutely fucking great!_

“Uhm..yeah…it’s me,” she mumbled as she stepped out from her spot against the wall, and into the studio.  She gulped audibly when she saw Tab wiping himself down with a hand-towel. How was she supposed to have a conversation with him like _this,_ when he was wiping himself down like _that?_

“Well, what ya’ want?” Tab asked as he unbuckled the strap from his guitar and set it down on the stand nearby.  He pulled his headphones off and placed them on top of the stand as well. 

“I…uh…I was just driving by, and I saw this place, and…” He was wiping his face now, and Danielle couldn’t help but stare at his chest. His pectoral muscles bunched as he used both hands on his face. She could see a spot of greyish paint on his abdomen, right above his belly-button, so yeah,  he’d been painting.  The muscles over his ribs were taut as he swiped the rag down the center of his chest, and dragged it back up to his-

“And what?” Tab asked, drawing her eyes up to his.

Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she realized he’d probably been watching her…watching him.  She straightened her spine and attempted to stand a little taller… …and snapped her mouth shut when she realized it had been hanging open, holy shit!!

“I just wanted to come by and say thank you for last night, and that I was…uh sorry for being so mean, and…” she looked around the room as she self-consciously wrapped her arms around herself, “and yeah, so that’s it. Thank you and I’m sorry.” Her voice was so damn high-pitched, even to her ears, and she could feel herself trembling as she waited for him to respond. She looked up at him, but his face was devoid of any emotion, and she wondered what the hell he was thinking right now as he stared back at her. He pulled his shirt from his back pocket.

“Well, you’re welcome,” Tab finally replied, an eyebrow arched sardonically as he pulled his shirt over his head. “And It’s okay, cause we’re not friends, remember?”

Danielle winced at his words, but knew she deserved nothing less than his contempt.

“Want a water?” Tab asked as he walked over to the small cooler on the table closest to him.

“Yes, please,” Danielle replied softly. Tab handed her the water, and both took long drinks.

“The damn AC is broke in here.” Tab answered her unspoken question. “Waiting on the dude to come by today.”

“You were painting?” Danielle looked down at the gallons of paint scattered around the room.

“Yeah. Trying to fix this place up, maybe sell it, I don’t know,” Tab replied.  His tone had grown wistful as he looked around the room. “Just hate to see it go, ya know? Lots of good stuff went down here, and I kinda wanna keep it.”

“Then keep it.” Danielle shrugged as she took another sip of her water.

 _“Then keep it,”_ Tab repeated her words, laughing as he did so.

“What?” She stared back at him.

“You can’t keep everything, Dani.” Still smiling, Tab walked over to the fan and stood before it. He placed his arms on top, sighing as the cool air went up the sleeves of his tee-shirt and cooled his chest. He looked over his shoulder at Danielle. “I’m gonna step out back, get some fresh air. Wanna come?”

Nodding silently, Danielle followed him to the back of the building, and stepped outside. Both breathed a great big sigh of relief as the humid Louisiana air filled their lungs, replacing the stale air inside the studio. It was maybe 50 feet to the edge of the bayou, and not waiting for Tab, Danielle made her way down to the small dock alone. She leaned against the rail, and stared down at the water as it lapped against the wood. She took a few deep, cleansing breaths of the salty air and felt some of the tension leave her shoulders.

“It’s the cure for everything,” Tab murmured as he came to stand next to her on the dock.

“Yeah it is,” Danielle agreed. “I’d forgotten how much I missed the water.”

Tab leaned over the railing and propped one booted foot up on the ledge. “You been gone for a while, huh?”

“Little over 4 years, off and on,” Danielle quietly replied.  Across the way, an alligator slid off the bank, his tail splashing as he entered the water and silently began coasting up the bayou.  The larger one remained, and it stared across the water at her and Tab. 

From somewhere in the distance, a bullfrog started calling, and a bird started croaking as dusk approached.

“What’s that? Heron? Egret?” Danielle cocked her head towards Tab as she listened intently. 

“You've been gone too damn long,” Tab chuckled as he took another sip of his water. “Pretty sure it's an egret.  It’s their mating season right now, so they acting a little crazy.”

Satisfied, Danielle settled back against the rail and watched the water some more, only to jump when she realized she had groceries in her truck that were probably melted by now in this heat.

“Damn! I gotta go. I got groceries that I need to get home.” She turned to Tab. “Thanks for the water, and….good luck with your building.” She didn’t wait for him to respond before taking her leave. She started walking back up the dock and made her way around the building and headed to her truck, only to realize he was right beside her.

“Dani, look, I think we should talk.” Tab stated as he opened her door for her, and Danielle climbed in and turned the truck on. The A/C hit her on full blast, causing her to break out in goosebumps where she’d been sweating.  She stared straight ahead, not knowing what to say to him.

“Look, I got an idea. Let’s go fishing.” Tab offered, drawing Danielle’s wary eyes up to his. “I know you like fishing, and I know I love fishing, so let’s go fishing.  Maybe we can hash some things out.”

“Tab, I don’t know,” she began protesting.

“You been gone too long and don’t know how to fish anymore, huh?” Tab shook his head at her in pity. “That’s a damn shame, but I understand. You get to traveling, and forgettin' shit, and-”

“What? Please!” Danielle snorted defiantly. “I could out-fish your ass any day, Benoit!”

Tab grinned at her as he leaned against the window sill of her truck door.  Danielle glared back, knowing she'd been got.  He’d goaded her into, damn him!

“Then let’s go. Put ya’ money where your mouth is, Bourgeois.” Tab arched an eyebrow as he waited for her to respond. 

Danielle turned and stared out the front window of her truck as she mulled over his challenge. What’s the worst that could happen? She could go and out fish him? Or she could go and he’d be shirtless again,  and she'd jump him? 

"Come on, Dani," Tab cajoled, and Danielle felt her resolve weakening.  He was so damn charming.  When had that happened, or had he always been that way and she'd never realized? 

"I can take you out on my boat.  Down this bayou, or wherever you wanna go."  Tab stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared down at her.  "I promise we won't be fighting, and I won't be an asshole, and I won't catch _too many_ more fish than you, 'k?"

_ _

Danielle rolled her eyes as she turned to stare at him.  Cocky bastard.    "We will probably fight, and you will most definitely be an ass cause it's in your DNA, but you most certainly won't catch more fish than me."

"So we going tomorrow then?"  Tab grinned, and Danielle felt her heart skip at the dimple that appeared in his left cheek.  _Where the hell had that come from?_

"Tomorrow?"  She blinked a few times and looked away.  It was damn near impossible to stare at him when he was staring back at her with that smile.  She shook her head.    "No, tomorrow is no good.  I gotta get a fence put up for that dog."  She grimaced as she thought about Blue.  

"Well I know somebody who does fencin', so I'll get him in touch with you," Tab offered matter-of-factly. 

"Really?  Cause I need it like time now.  I've been putting Blue on a chain, and that is not gonna work."  She sighed again, remembering the fiasco from this morning as he had tangled himself up in the damn chain.  The rest of the time he spent whining about being on the chain...

"Well, I gotta fence at my house, so bring him over.  I'll keep him til you get yours up."

Danielle turned to look at him again, and again she wondered why he was being so friendly with her.   She had to know. 

"Why are you being so nice to me, Tab?"  she asked him bluntly.  No sense in beating around the bush.

"Cause I'm a nice guy?" Tab shrugged his shoulders as he smiled again, and Danielle couldn't help but giggle at his audacity.  Charming bastard!

"Well, that remains to be seen, but I am gonna take you up on your offer to keep the dog til I get the fence put up," Danielle replied.  "I promise I'll try to be as quick as possible, and I'll bring all his food and stuff with him." 

"Don't worry about none of that."  Tab placed his hands on the sill of her window again.  "I'll watch your dog for you, for however long you need, if you go fishing with me.  Deal?"  He held up one hand, waiting for her to take it.   Danielle stared down at his proffered hand and then back up at him.   _What the fuck,_ she thought to herself...

"Deal," she agreed as she placed her hand in his to seal the deal.  

That was a big mistake, and she knew it from the moment his warm hand enveloped hers so snugly.  _Why didn't she learn anything from the damn motorcycle ride??_ His long fingers were warm as they wrapped around her smaller hand, and it was like everything in her body was focused on where they were connected.  Her body tensed as long-dormant sensations coursed through her veins, the slow-burn of arousal awakening inside at what should have been a platonic touch.  She bit at her lower lip as she stared up at him, and she would bet her life she saw something pass across his face as he held her hand.  As if he had touched fire, Tab released her hand just as quickly as he could, and stepped back away from the truck, shoving his hands deep inside his pockets again.  When he spoke, his voice was much deeper, more gravelly if that was possible. 

"So...uh...bring him by this afternoon?"  His jaw was tense as he spoke carefully, and all Danielle could do was nod in agreement.  "Okay, say about 6?  Give me time to finish up around here."

"Yeah, that works," Danielle, finally having found her voice, mumbled as she buckled her seat belt.  "Thank you again, Tab." 

"Yep.  No problem."  Tab nodded his head and turned and headed back into his studio, leaving Danielle to sit in the parking lot in a jumbled mess of nerves and confusion. 

What the fuck was that... _thing._.. that just happened between them?  She would swear that Tab had felt it too  - or had felt something - but she could only assume that he had been repulsed by her touch,  if his actions were any indicator.  He'd certainly pulled his hand back as fast as he could.  Maybe he was regretting offering so much to her, but he was trying to be a nice guy and didn't want to flat out tell her how much he disliked her?   Maybe he just realized again how much he hated her?  God! She was so confused. 

She put the truck in reverse and backed out of the parking lot and headed home.  Her brain was running a million miles a minute, each and every possible scenario passing through her mind as she tried to make sense of everything.  It was very, very obvious to her that she'd not gotten over her crush on him;  that was still very much alive and kicking.  On the flip-side, Tab had never, ever liked or cared for her, and she wondered if he was starting to remember just how much he detested her.  Try as he might, he didn't seem to be able to get over his distaste for her. 

It stung a little.  It really did, and she had to swallow a few times to push aside the feelings of rejection, of not being liked by someone.  Trying to put it from her mind, she turned the radio on as loud as she could stand it.  Anything to drown out those niggling thoughts that threatened to take over. 

Oh well! she soberly told herself.   She never expected him to like her.  Hell! _She didn't even like him, remember?_ You could be attracted to someone and not like them!  That was perfectly allowed...wasn't it? 

"Fuck!" she growled as she flipped the channel, desperately trying to find something loud and obnoxious to listen to.  When she landed on a hard rock station, the sounds of Metallica filled the truck cab, and she sighed in somewhat relief.  If [Sad But True](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8MO7fkZc5o) couldn't pull her out of her thoughts, she didn't know what else could!

 

* * *

 

Here's my vision of Danielle, AKA Dani :-) I have the biggest crush on curly-haired Shakira, and always have! She's so spunky and just the cutest thing ever haha

  
                              


	5. Chapter 5

It was Saturday, and Danielle was sorting through her closet as she tried to figure out what to wear. 

She was going fishing, for god’s sake!  Why was this so difficult??

It was just after 10am, and she'd been standing in front of the mirror for over and hour deliberating on what outfit to wear.  She tossed another tee shirt on the bed in frustration.  She’d barely unpacked her things, still feeling awkward at being in her father’s house alone, and she had a damn mess all over the guest room that she'd been staying in.   It was her house now, but she didn't feel it, and she knew this mess wasn't going to work much longer; at some point and time she was going to have to clean this place out and make it her own, if she intended to stay here. 

It was all just surreal.

She hadn’t met with the board members yet.  Hell, she’d not even been to visit her father’s grave yet.   It was like she was just kind of existing, or maybe she was avoiding all the inevitable things that were piling up and getting ready to slap her upside the head… She had no idea, but she knew she just couldn't deal with it, even if the rational part of her told her she was headed for a disaster when everything finally came to a head.  There was a sense of almost impending doom hanging over her head, and she quickly closed her eyes and took some deep breaths to ward off the feelings.  She opened her eyes, resolute that she would not have a bad day today.  She simply would not. 

Fuck it.

Today, she was going fishing, and as everyone knows, a bad day fishing beats a good day doing anything else.  Even if it was with Tab Benoit, who may or may not be her mortal enemy.  Tab was another issue altogether...

She had no idea what was going on where he was concerned, and she'd done her best to not dwell on the image in her head of him being shirtless and sweaty and hot as he played that guitar of his.  And fuck but that damn dimple when he smiled at her.  And the way he'd held her hand against his chest on the motorcycle, and how good it had felt to be wrapped around him on the ride home. The way he'd so easily convinced her that she should go fishing with him, as if it were something they did all the time... She shook her head at her reflection in the mirror and grabbed another tee-shirt to hold up to her chest.  She needed to stop thinking about him _in that way,_ she really did. There was way too much of an age difference, and he was probably seeing someone, so she would do well to just put all romantic notions out of her head.   

She frowned critically at herself in the mirror as she finally settled on a loose, navy Dallas Cowboys tee.  She slipped it over her head, pulling it low around the waist of her jean shorts. It was another hot day out in south Louisiana, so this would have to do.  She really wanted to wear a tank top, but that was completely out of the question _-  since she was going with Tab._   She barely had breasts enough to fill her minuscule bra; in a tank top, she’d surely look like a flat-chested boy!  She frowned again at herself, wondering why the in the hell she even cared what Tab thought about her looks. They were adults, both grown, with their own agendas and issues, and she was fairly certain he was not attracted to her.   All they were doing today was fishing...nothing more, nothing less.  Ideally, maybe they could settle some of the issues between them, and work towards a common cause that would benefit them both and the community.  Honestly, she was lost as to what to do with the company, and Tab was older, and had a better grasp of the local economy and environment, so maybe he could guide her somewhat...if they didn't tear each others' heads off first! 

She walked into the bathroom and ran some mousse through her thick mane of curls, trying to tame the frizz and weigh it down.  She usually kept it straight, and found that much easier to deal with than this tangled mass she was dealing with now.  The humidity and lack of time had brought out her hair's natural texture, and even now it was wearing her damn arms out trying to get it under control.  She needed to find a salon, and soon!  She gave up trying to control her curls, and twisted her hair and put it in a loose, messy bun on top of her head; it would have to do.  Walking through the house, she grabbed her cell phone and the rest of her things and made it out to her truck and hopped in.

_Here goes nothing…_

* * *

 

Across town, Tab was putting the remainder of the supplies in the boat.  He wiped sweat off his brow with a towel as he looked around for something else to throw in, and shook his head at himself.  He knew he was basically doing anything to keep from sitting still, cause he was stressed the fuck out.  Dani was on her way over here, and they were going out on his boat.

_Alone._

He had been trying to wrap his mind around whatever the fuck it was he’d been feeling ever since he’d seen her at Ruby's last week,  but he was just as lost now as he was back then when he'd first spotted her.  She’d changed, even in just the 4 years she’d been gone.  Or had he not paid attention all those times she’d come back in town?  Maybe his hatred for her father, and then her, had clouded his vision and mind to what was taking place right under his nose?  She had always been beautiful – even if he refused to admit it, what given their history – but damn if she hadn’t gotten more so!  Her hair had always been pulled back, or straightened he guessed, 'cause that mass of damn curls was new, and it was driving him absolutely insane. They were wild, dark blonde ringlets, gorgeous and full, and begging for him to tangle his fingers in.  

_Tangled in her hair?_ he snorted as he picked up a case of water and lugged it to the boat. _Where the fuck did that come from?_ He set the water down and headed back down the ramp to the house to grab some more shit. 

He was shocked when he’d seen her at Ruby’s, but as usual, he’d resorted to being an asshole whenever she was around.  It was a cop-out, and he knew it, but what the fuck else could he do? Tell her he’d had a crush on her ever since she was old enough for him to be crushing on?  _Fuck, probably even before then,_ he ruefully admitted to himself.  A crush?  What was he, some kind of damn teenager?  He was nearly 45 years old!  Way too fucking old to be acting like a lovesick teenager, especially with someone like Danielle Bourgeois!  

He picked up a 12-pack of Dr, Peppers carried it to the boat,  and dropped them in the cooler alongside the Bud Light.  He slammed the lid shut, and sat down on top of it with a frown as another thought occurred to him, one that he'd tried to dismiss thus far. 

She probably had a boyfriend.

Or maybe a husband? Or maybe she was engaged?  He couldn't remember if she had a ring on her finger!  Surely she wasn't single!

But, his brain argued with him, he would have known about that by now, right?  _Right?!_    Maybe not.  She’d all but recoiled from him yesterday when he shook her hand, he thought with another grimace.  She looked at him like what he was: an old ass man who was obviously way, way beneath her.  Yeah, that was it, she probably had a boyfriend back overseas, or somewhere here in the states, and she was just gonna take care of her business and roll out again.  Probably some young businessman, who wined and dined her with lavish gifts and trips to Italy, and all those other fuckin' romantic places that women liked to go to...

“Son of a bitch,” he growled as he stood up and angrily readjusted the bait and poles.  He needed to find more shit to load up.

He hopped off the boat and strode down to the dock and back inside the fence this time.  Blue came running up to him, and Tab absentmindedly petted the dog as he trotted beside him.  He walked up to the porch and grabbed the last of the stuff to put on the boat, and was just about to walk back to the ramp for the umpteenth time when he heard a vehicle pull up in the driveway.  He dropped his armful of (unnecessary) stuff on a patio chair and walked around the house, and saw Dani’s black truck parked next to his silver one.  His mood instantly lifted as soon as he saw that it was her.  He watched as she slid out of the truck, her flip-flops hitting the gravel, and he couldn’t contain his appreciative smile.  As short as she was, she had legs for days! 

“Settle your ass down, Benoit,” he admonished himself as he started walking towards her. He made sure the gate was locked so that the dog wouldn’t escape before slipping out to go to her.

“Hey Dani,” he called as he came up on her driver’s side. “You need help?”

“Uhm..no…I’m good, I think.”  She barely looked at him, her eyes guarded as she walked around to the back of her truck and quickly climbed up into the bed.  She handed him a fishing pole.

“I told you I have poles, Dani,” Tab chuckled as he took the Penn from her.  She stood up straight, hands on her hips as she stared down her pert nose at him.

“That’s my lucky pole.”

She was serious as hell, and lord forgive him he tried, but he couldn’t help but laugh at her.  She was so damn cute, standing up there in the back of the truck with her tiny self.  He had this insane urge to scoop her up and hug her, to hold her close to his chest, and again he wondered about his wayward thoughts!   He cleared his throat when her stared turned to a glare, solely focused on him and his humor at her expense.

“Well, you gonna need your lucky pole, I can tell you that,” he chuckled as she climbed down from the truck.  After grabbing her cell and small purse, she turned to him with a small smile.

“I’m ready when you are.”

He blinked down at her few a few moments...God she was cute when she smiled up at him like that.... _FUCK!_

“Alright, let’s go.” Clearing his throat again, Tab turned and started walking towards the gate. “I got everything but the kitchen sink loaded up.”  _That was not a damn lie, either..._

Danielle giggled as she followed him through the gate, and her face lit up with a smile when she saw Blue. The black and tan hound ran up to her, jumping and pawing in excitement as Danielle laughed and petted him.

“Hey boy! How are you?” she squished his face in between her hands as she kissed him on his wet nose.  It was so much easier to deal with him when he wasn’t running all over God’s green earth! She’d actually kinda missed the dog, but he seemed to be doing really well at Tab’s.

“Wanna take him with us?” Tab asked with a smile as he watched the interaction.  Danielle looked up at him, offering a smile of her own.

“Could we? Daddy always took him…” she trailed off as her words caught in her throat.  She abruptly stood up and looked away, doing her best to not let her emotions get her as she folded her arms across her chest.

“Yeah, let’s take him. Come on, boy!” Tab called to Blue as he tried to ignore Dani’s shift in mood.  He didn’t want to bring attention to it, as he thought she didn’t want him to, but again, he felt that insane urge to wrap her up in his arms and hold her, to keep her tears at bay for as long as he possibly could.  She stared off towards the boat, and he could see her jaw tensing and flexing as she tried to control herself.

“You alright, Dani?” he asked softly, unable to ignore it completely.  She turned to him and gave him a strained smile as she reached over and pulled her pole from his hands. Her eyes were glossy with unshed tears, and it pulled at his heart.

“Sure.” Her voice was high-pitched. “Let’s go before the fish stop biting.” Without a word, she walked around him and marched down the dock to the ramp, leaving Tab to stare after her. He looked down at Blue, and then back up at Dani’s retreating figure.

“Come on, boy.” He and Blue made their way back to the porch and grabbed the remaining things and carried them to the boat. 

Dani was already up front at the bow, leaning over the rail, and Tab didn’t disturb her as he started the engine and maneuvered them down to his secret honey-hole.  He wanted her wanted her to have a good time, and he was gonna do his damnedest to make sure she caught some fish today!   He did watch her through the window of the control room, though.  She was lost in thought it seemed, her head bowed over her folded arms on the railing as she watched the water pass by underneath.  Her hair was piled up on top of her head, but errant, loose tendrils, pulled out by the wind, were flowing around her, and down her neck.   He shook his head again; God she was beautiful, even wearing that god-awful Dallas shirt.  _Had she forgotten she was from Louisiana, and was therefore supposed to be a Saints fan?_

He grinned to himself as he popped the top off a Dr. Pepper and took a long sip.  He had beers, but he’d save those for later. First, he needed to see how things would progress between the two of them, and make sure they didn’t kill each other before he added alcohol to the mix.


	6. Chapter 6

“I thought you said this was your secret fishing spot?” Danielle quipped as she reeled her line in again. Beside her, Tab rolled his eyes and did the same.

“Maybe you’re just bad luck, ‘cause I always catch a shit load here," he shot back heatedly.

Dani snorted. “I’m gonna set my line and fish off the bottom. No more shrimp.” She rifled through his cooler full of bait and pulled out a Ziploc bag of finger mullet.

“Do what you want,” Tab replied as he stubbornly cast his line out again.  From the corner of his eye, he watched as she quickly re-rigged her pole, removing the floater and adding weights so that she could fish off the bottom. His eyebrows rose imperceptibly as he saw her exchange her circle hook for a treble and cut up some mullet to use; he was impressed with her skill to be honest.  A few moments later, she headed to the far side of the stern and cast her line out, and set the drag before placing it in a pole holder. With a satisfied smirk, she reached down and grabbed a beer and popped the top off.

“Now we wait.” She pulled her folding chair up next to her pole and propped her bare feet up on the railing.

“You think you gonna catch somethin' before me? Them gar take a while,” Tab murmured as he popped his line a few times.  He was annoyed. Why the hell weren’t the fish biting?

“I’m the gar-catching queen,” Danielle giggled as she took another sip of her beer. 

Beside her, Blue growled in his sleep. She’d not felt this relaxed in so damn long! She really couldn’t remember when was the last time she’d just sat on the back of a boat and fished. It didn’t even matter that she wasn’t catching anything. There was a small breeze blowing, just enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay, and the water was calm and the sun was bright.  By all rights, it was a perfect day…even with Tab here.  She cut her eyes at him, hiding her grin behind her beer as she watched his frustration mount at not catching anything.  She could tell as he jerked the pole, more stiffly each time, that he was getting aggravated.  Stubborn ass!  It was barely a few minutes later, when in front of her, she heard the tell-tale click of her line being messed with. She set her beer down and quickly stood up to tend her pole.

“You got to be shittin’ me,” Tab grumbled beside her.

“Told ya so!” Danielle replied with a grin as she lifted her pole from the holder.  She pulled her left foot back, bracing herself in case the fish took her bait. Her finger rested on the line, waiting for it to go taut.  She grinned over at Tab, amd laughed out loud at his pouty face. “You gonna be all boudè now?”

Tab narrowed his eyes at her as he reeled his line in and set his pole down.  He reached into the cooler, grabbed a beer, and sat down in his own chair to watch.

“By all means, little miss pro,” he waved his hand at her, “show me how it’s done.”

This time Danielle ignored him, as her line was dancing all over the place.  She released the spool, and let the fish run.  He was on, she could feel it, but she knew that if she pulled too fast or at the wrong moment, you’d lose a gar in a heartbeat!  When she felt the line go taut, then slacken, and then finally taut again, she jerked on it, pulling it back hard as she set the hook. Immediately she felt resistance, and she knew the fish was very much on!

“I got him!” She yelled at Tab as she gripped the pole tightly and struggled to reel it in.  Fuck but it was huge and it was fighting the shit out of her!  Her pole bowed over, dragging her closer to the railing. From about 25 feet out, she saw the fish roll in the water and jump, splashing about as it fought being caught.

 

Conceding that she might be outmatched, she looked over at Tab with wide eyes, and he immediately got up to help her.  He stood behind her and reached around, taking the pole in his hands.

“Here, let me get it!” His voice was low against her ear, and Danielle shivered at his close proximity.  She quickly released the pole to him, and stepped out from under his arms and let him take over.  For the next few minutes, she watched, enthralled as he wrestled with the fish before finally bringing it up alongside the boat. His muscles bunched and strained as he fought the massive fish, and she was grateful that he was here, cause there was no way in hell she would have been able to bring that fish in alone!

“Dani…” Tab grunted as he struggled with the fish. “Get that gaff and give it to me.” He walked along the rear of the boat, carefully maneuvering the fish so that it wouldn’t break the line. Danielle grabbed the hook pole and rushed back over to him.

“Okay, I’mma’ give you the pole and I’ll do the hook, okay?” Tab looked at her, his brow sweaty with exertion.  Danielle nodded and moved closer, taking the pole from him. As she leaned over, she saw just how big the fish was and she was shocked. That damn alligator gar had to be at least 5 feet long!  The fish again leaped out of the water, struggling til the very end!

Tab leaned over the railing, dangling the pole and moving it alongside the exhausted fish. “Reel it in, Dani. I’ll hook him as you do so.”

Dani started reeling in her line, pulling up as much as her short arms could manage, and Tab hooked the huge fish at his gills and dragged him up the side of the boat. He pulled it over the edge and dropped it on the floor, and the fish thrashed about angrily.

“Grab that towel over there,” Tab pointed to his chair and Dani quickly grabbed it and handed it to him.  He threw it over the gar’s head, calming the fish somewhat.  With an exhausted smile, he looked at up Dani from where he was leaned over the gar, hands on knees as he tried to catch his breath. “Damn! That’s a big ass fish!”

He stood up, rolling his shoulders and rubbing the back of his neck  as he tried to ease the ache that was setting in from fighting with that damn fish. He'd be hurting tomorrow; he could already tell...

“You got a hammer?” Dani asked.

 _“A hammer?”_ Tab shook his head and laughed as he walked over to the small bag near his chair and pulled out a ball-peen hammer. “A woman after my own heart!”

Danielle flushed under his compliment and looked away. That was a little too flirty right now…

“You wanna do it, or want me to?” Tab asked as he held the hammer out to her.

“Go ahead.”

“Okay so I reel the bastard in _and_ I gotta kill it?” Tab chuckled as he knelt down beside the gar.  He moved the towel, and with one quick pop, hit the gar in the right spot, killing it instantly. He quickly removed the hook, freeing Dani’s line, and stood up. “We need to put him on ice if we gonna stay any longer.”

“Well, I’m good if you are,” Danielle stated. “It’s gonna take us a while to clean him anyways.”

“Yeah,” Tab wiped his hands on the towel, “good point.”

He dragged the fish across the floor to the huge ice chest, and between he and Dani, they lifted him and put him on ice.  Tab closed the lid and held his hand up for a high-five.  Danielle slapped his hand playfully, but she could feel herself blushing again as her hand barely touched his. 

"Good job, Dani!  We gonna eat good tonight!"  Tab was still grinning as he pulled his shirt away from his chest.  It was wet and covered with blood from the fish.

"You got blood everywhere!" Danielle wrinkled her nose in distaste at his ruined blue shirt. Tab looked up at her, and with a mischievous glint in his eyes, stalked towards her, forcing her back along the stern.

"Well, I did do all the work...catchin' _your_ fish."  He moved even closer, and Danielle knew immediately what he was about to do.

"Don't you dare!" She warned him as she held her hands up in defense.  "I swear to god, Ben-"

Tab wrapped his arms around her, squishing her against his chest as she squealed and struggled against him. 

"It's only fair that you get a little dirty too!" Tab's laughter rumbled through his chest as he jostled her around in his arms, ensuring that she got her share of blood and guts.  Danielle continued sputtering until he let her go, and she glared up at him when she saw all the mess on her shirt.

"What?" Tab asked innocently. 

"You're a jerk," she muttered petulantly. 

"I know, I know," Tab chuckled again.  "I'm sorry.  I'll get you a New Orleans shirt when we get back to the house.  Get ya' out of that shit ya' wearin'."  He nodded at her tee-shirt.  Danielle stuck her tongue out at him, earning another howl of laughter from Tab.  He finally let her be, though, and walked up to the front of the boat to get ready to head back.

Once he left, Danielle busied herself with cleaning up, putting stuff away and rearranging - anything to keep herself away from that man.  The atmosphere had switched, and she could feel it just as sure as she could feel the sun on her skin.  Watching him reel that fish in, watching how he'd fought and struggled, had confirmed what she already kinda knew to be true:  she was so damn attracted to that asshole that she couldn't stand it.  When he'd come up behind her to take the pole, the feeling of his chest pressed against her back had unnerved her to no end, and stirred up those feelings again.  _And god!_   When he'd hugged her a few moments ago, it may have been playful for him, but lord have mercy if it didn't make her wanna jump him right here in this boat!  He was driving her insane, and the fucker probably didn't even realize it or care! Or maybe he was doing it on purpose because he was an asshole?  Her eyes narrowed at that thought...

"Hey Dani!" Tab called from the his position at the helm.

"What?" she yelled back angrily.

"Can you bring me a beer?"

Danielle scrunched her face up in disbelief at his request.   She was aggravated, and frustrated, and confused, and now he wanted her to bring him a fucking beer?   _What was she, his damn girlfriend?_ Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she went and grabbed him a beer like the good little woman that she was - even though it aggravated the piss out of her.   She carried the can of Bud Light up to him and handed it to him with a huff.  Tab stared at her, brows drawn together in confusion.

"I still caught more fish than you."

Tab stared at her for a moment before bursting out in laughter.  "I knew you was gonna say that!"

"Well, it's true," Danielle huffed again as she stood next to him and stared towards the water in front of them.   Her tone told him she was in no mood to joke around, and he sobered quickly.

Not knowing what to say, Tab took a long drink of his beer as he cast a sideways glance at her.  Something had gotten into her, and he couldn't rightly explain what that might be.  Her usually soft jaw was set with tension, and her beautiful lips were pulled tautly,  letting him know that she was highly pissed.   He knew he shouldn't have wiped his dirty shirt all over her! _Stupid ass!!_ Even now, he was kicking himself for being so damn childish!  She was probably pissed about that, and she had every right to be; what woman wanted to be covered in blood and guts and swamp water?   Feeling like an enormous asshole, he took another long drink of his beer, and took them back to the dock in record time.   He'd have to apologize at some point, that was for damn sure.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shitty ending, but I got nothing...til the next chapter. Just bear with me, okay?

They were back at Tab’s house, and they were arguing like cats and dogs.  They’d downloaded the boat, and were now attempting to clean the gar, but it was not going well at all.  Danielle insisted on doing it one way – _since it was her fish_ – but Tab insisted on doing it another way… _since he caught the damn thing._

“I’m telling ya, this is the way to do it!” Tab pulled on the dorsal fin and hacked at it with a machete.

“You’re gonna ruin the meat, jackass!” Danielle shot back as she watched him butcher her fish.  Tab stopped whacking at the fish and looked up at her in annoyance.  She lifted her chin as she stared back.  Giving up, he threw the machete down on the ground beside the fish.

“Fine. Do it your way.” He stood up and walked away, wiping his hands on the back of his jeans in aggravation.  God but she was so damn hard-headed!  He didn't have the patience to deal with this level of bullshit, no matter how hot she was! 

Danielle stared after him in disbelief.  _He was actually gonna leave her here, alone, to clean this fish that was damn near as big as she was?_ Yep, she watched him bitterly.  He sure as hell was! He walked inside the back door, slamming it behind him and leaving her alone on the patio.

“Well fuck you, too!” She huffed as she set down and began trying to cut the armor off the fish. 

She _needed_ his help, so why was she being so damn stubborn?  She’d been nagging him ever since he started cleaning the gar, and he’d obviously had enough.  Did it really matter how they cleaned it, as long as they cleaned it?  She sniffled as her eyes filled with tears. Yes, it mattered. She and her daddy spent so many days – and nights – out there fishing the bayous for alligator gar, both doing their best to out-fish the other.  The loser always cleaned and cooked whatever was caught; it was family tradition.  She sniffled again as she wiped at her nose with the back of her hand.   She knew exactly what was wrong and it sounded stupid even to her, but it was what it was: _Tab wasn’t cleaning it like her daddy._   The last time she’d been fishing was with her father, not even 2 months ago, and they’d caught a gar, much like this one.  Well, she’d caught the gar, and her father had spent a good couple of hours cleaning that damn fish for her.  Later that evening, they’d fried it up and sat outside by his fire pit as they ate.

Now she was sitting on Tab’s back porch, with this big-ass fish, and she was about to breakdown again.  If her daddy was here, she wouldn’t be sitting on the concrete, alone.  If her daddy was here, she wouldn't be going home alone.  If her daddy was here, she wouldn't be faced with making such hard decisions that affected so many people.   If her daddy were here...

She lifted her chin, attempting to swallow down the painful lump in her throat, and set to work on cleaning the damn fish again.  Fuck Tab, and his stupid, idiotic ways!

* * *

 Watching from inside, Tab cocked his head in confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on.  He lifted the beer to his lips and took another long swallow.   _Was she crying over that damn fish?_ Was she so mad at his way of doing things that she was actually crying of the fish?  She was hunched over, her shoulders just barely jerking, and he knew she was trying to keep herself together.   He watched as she threw the machete down and shakily stood.  She wiped her hands on the towel she was holding and took off walking towards the water, leaving the fish laying on the concrete in a pool of blood. 

Sighing wearily,  he walked over to the sink and washed his hands. He had no idea what to do with her.  No fucking idea at all. 

No, take that back...he knew exactly what he wanted to do with her, but what he wanted to do would probably result in him getting punched in the face, so that was out of the question. 

_Still…_

She’d not struggled the first night that he’d held her, so maybe that was what she needed again?  Something was bothering her, enough so that she left all that meat laying on the patio to rot. He walked back outside, saw that she was sitting out on his dock, and quickly tossed the fish back into the cooler and covered it with ice.  He’d - or they – would clean it later. He walked back inside and grabbed his fresh tee-shirt from off the counter and slipped into it, and washed his hands once more before heading out to Dani.

“Dani?” Tab’s voice was soft, and Danielle quickly wiped her eyes and averted her face away from him.

“Yeah?”

“You alright?” Tab sat down next to her on the dock.

“I’m fine, Tab. I’m fine.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he could hear the sadness coming through.

“Look, if you want me to clean it your way, I’ll do it,” Tab offered gently. “I didn’t mean to upset you like this.”

Danielle let out a strangled sob, and turned even further away from him.  Her shoulders were moving ever so slightly as she cried.

“What do you need me to do, Dani?” Tab reached out and touched her gently on her shoulder, causing her to jerk away from him.  She scooted away, but turned around to face him. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying and he fought hard to not grab her, to pull her onto his lap as he’d done before, and hug her tightly.  Whatever the fuck it was he needed to do to make her stop crying, he’d do it!

“Why are you so nice to me?” She asked him, her voice breaking as a fresh round of tears rolled down her cheeks.  She was still in her dirty tee shirt, covered with blood and grime and swamp water, her hair a tangled mess of curls, but Tab thought she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.  She warily watched him as he scooted closer to her, just inches at a time, until he was able to reach out and cup her cheek with his rough palm.   His thumb gently brushed away a tear before it reached her jaw, and he gave her a timid smile.

“Cause I got a big ole’ crush on you, and fuck me, but I can’t help it,” he answered honestly as he shrugged his shoulders.

Danielle stared back at him, eyes wide and lips slightly parted as she tried to comprehend what he’d just said to her. Before she could come up with an explanation, Tab leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, shocking her even further.  He brought his other hand up and pushed it into the hair at the back of her neck and pulled gently, tilting her chin up so that he could access her lips even better.  Without thinking, Danielle let her head fall back, and her hands snaked up to wrap around his wrists to hold him to her. _This was exactly what she wanted, lord have mercy!_ Her tears were long forgotten with the feeling of his mouth on hers.  Her head was spinning as he kissed her, so gently and so tenderly, but at the same time leaving her wanting so much more, and she whimpered in need as he nipped at her lower lip. She grasped at the front of his shirt to pull him to her, but Tab grabbed her hand and held it still against his heaving chest. She could feel his heart beating wildly under her fingers, but with a frustrated groan of his own, Tab pulled back, leaving only his forehead touching hers as he stared into her eyes.  As reality sank in, and their breathing started becoming more normal, they both realized what had just happened, and Danielle quickly moved out of his arms, scooting back on her butt in an effort to get away from him.

“Dani…look…I’m sorry, okay?” Tab started apologizing as he pushed himself up on his knees.

“No it was my fault, and I… I need to go…” Danielle mumbled as she jumped to her feet and frantically ran back down to his porch. She fumbled with the gate, blinded again by tears as she struggled to get the latch undone. Blue barked at her, obviously sensing something was wrong, and she angrily shushed him.  Then Tab was there, his hand on her arm as he prevented her from leaving.

“Don’t. Please.” He turned her around, dragging her to him and wrapping his warm arms around her. “Don’t run away, Dani.”

Danielle sagged against him as the tears started in earnest.  It was too much. The beer, the fishing, this thing with Tab, her father dying – it was all too much to deal with.

“I don’t ….don’t…know what’s wrong…with me,” she stuttered against his chest as she cried.

“Shhhh…” Tab murmured as he kissed her on her forehead. “You got too much shit goin’ on, Dani.  Come inside.  Let’s get you cleaned up and get something to eat, and we can deal with all this, okay?” He pulled back and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look up at him. “I can’t let you leave anyways. You been drinking too much.” 

Danielle miserably nodded up at him, and allowed him to lead her back in the house. She was defeated, on all fronts, and all she wanted to do was lay down somewhere. Tab led her down to his guest bathroom.

“Why don’t you take a shower? You’ll feel better.”

“I don’t have any clothes,” Danielle muttered pitifully. She did feel very disgusting, and wanted nothing more than to get cleaned up, but she hadn’t brought anything with her.

“I’ll give you some of mine, just something you can wear for the time being.” Tab tilted her chin up and smiled down at her. “It ain’t no big deal, Dani. I promise.”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

“Well get cleaned up, and I’ll go see what I can find that might fit you.  I’ll leave it right outside the door on the floor, okay?” Danielle nodded again, and Tab left her to it.

She leaned up against the bathroom door for a few moments, her eyes closed as she tried to catch her breath.   Before there was too much shit going on, and then Tab just kissed her, and now she was even more confused!  She wearily pushed off the door and started stripping, pulling her clothes off as she made her way to the shower.  Hopefully getting cleaned up would clear up her mind....


	8. Chapter 8

She turned on the water in the shower, waiting til it got steaming hot, and stepped inside.  At first it stung her skin, but the pain quickly receded, taking it with it the heaviness of too much shit in one day.   As she stood under the running water, she closed her eyes and took some deep breaths, trying to set her mind at ease. 

Today was another example of how avoiding her father’s death was not a good idea.  She had no idea when the sadness would hit, or where it would hit, or what she would be doing when it hit. She knew couldn’t keep running from the truth, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it.  She’d not slept really since she’d been here, passing in and out of consciousness as her dreams haunted her.  She kept having images of her father dying alone, and the guilt was eating her alive.  Why hadn’t she come earlier when he’d mentioned having some issues?  Sure, he’d told her it was nothing to be concerned with, but in the back of her mind, she knew it was something serious.  He would never go to the doctor unless it was dire so the fact that he'd even told her he was having problems should have clued her in.  Maybe if she’d come home sooner, she could have gotten him to see someone, and his death could have been prevented.  Danielle bowed her head under the shower, her tears mixing with the water as it fell around her feet, her nearly-silent sobs wracking her body yet again as the guilt threatened to swallow her whole. 

* * *

 

 

Outside the bathroom, Tab leaned his ear up against the door, listening for any sign of distress from Dani.  He knew she was crying; he could hear it, even as she tried to keep it quiet.  The only thing stopping him from going inside and grabbing her again was the fact that she was in the goddamned shower. 

_Naked._

He groaned low in his throat at the thought of Dani, just feet away, in his shower and wearing nothing.  As turned on as he was, he felt so damn guilty about even thinking about her like that when she was obviously in a lot of pain.  He gritted his teeth in frustration, and dropped the pajama pants and tee shirt on the floor next to the door.

“Fuck!” He ran a hand through his out-of-control hair and walked back down the hallway and outside.  He had to get away from that bathroom door. He grabbed another beer and his machete, and went to work on that damn fish. 

Come hell or high water, it was getting cleaned tonight.

* * *

 

Danielle slowly pulled the bathroom door open, and snatched up the clothes that Tab had left for her.  She rolled her eyes when she saw he’d given her not only a New Orleans Saints tee shirt, but Saints pajama pants as well!!  _Smart ass!_    She’d stopped crying, and actually felt a whole lot better, but as she slipped his clothes on – _minus a bra and panties_ \- she couldn’t help but think again about that kiss they’d shared on the dock.  She shivered as she touched her lips and stared at herself in the mirror, remembering vividly the feel of his warm lips against hers, the way he wrapped his hand around her hair and pulled her to him.   That, combined with the fact that she was wearing his clothes - and nothing else - had her clenching her thighs together as she felt the ache start to build in her groin.  

_God!!_

Tab had kissed her, and she’d liked it, and not only had she liked it, but she wanted more.  _Much, much more._ And, she thought with a shy smile, he said he had a crush on her. She pressed her palms to her cheek as she flushed again.  He had a crush on her? That gorgeous man had a crush on her??  The reality of that hit her as she stood before the mirror, and she felt her heart skip a beat in her chest.  She had a crush on him too, and a big part of her wanted to go tell him, while the other part - the responsible part - told her that was not a good idea.  She had a business to run, and she had decisions to make, and-

Her face fell as the wheels started turning. M _aybe Tab was buttering her up in order to sway her decision about her father’s business?_

She frowned at herself in the mirror, the earlier smile and happiness long gone.  Would he really stoop that low?  She couldn’t be sure, as she didn’t know him that well.  Now she was in a much darker mood, aggravated once again at the thought of him possibly playing her like that.   With a huff, she twisted her wet hair up in another bun, this one much more severe, and scooped up her clothes.  She was going to get her things and get the hell out of this house.

* * *

 

When she came back into the kitchen, Tab was nowhere to be found.  As she walked over to the back door and looked through the window, she saw him on the patio, hacking away again at the gar.  As pissed off as she’d become a few moments earlier, she couldn’t help but smile at little at his tenacity.  Surprisingly, he was nearly done; all that was left now was to de-bone it.  Maybe his way was better, she thought to herself…

“Tab?” She opened the door and stepped out back. 

He looked up, his face sweaty, and gave her a lopsided, but exhausted smile, and she felt her knees weaken as that damned dimple appeared.  She quickly looked away.  Beside him were piles of fresh, pink gar meat, just waiting to be put in bags, and her stomach growled deep inside as she thought about rolling that fish up in some cornmeal and frying it up!

“Your fish is kickin’ my ass!” He wiped the filet knife on the rag he held in his hand. “You feelin’ better?”

“Much, thank you,” Danielle smiled back at him, albeit a bit stiffly.  “Look, I think I’m gonna leave, okay?”  She wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for his reaction.

“What? Why?” Tab asked, coming to his feet at her declaration. “I’m almost done. I thought we was gonna cook some of this meat?”

He looked crestfallen, and Danielle shuffled on her bare feet, wondering what she should say or do.   Yes, _she wanted to stay,_ but at the same time she wanted to run away…she really didn’t know what she wanted to do!  Bottom line was she didn’t trust herself around him to not do something stupid, and she certainly didn't want to make a fool out of herself if she had indeed misconstrued his intentions. 

“Look, Dani, that…thing…out there on the dock, I won’t do that again, okay?” Tab spoke softly, drawing her wary eyes up to his.  He seemed earnest enough as he tried to assure her, and she felt her resolve weaken.  What’s the worst that could happen, she asked herself.  And besides, she _was_ hungry!

“It was a mistake on my part, and I’m really sorry,” Tab continued, and Danielle did her best to not make a face at those words. 

_Well fuck!_ He almost sounded like he hadn’t wanted to kiss her, and that stung a little bit, if she were to be honest.  Maybe she’d imagined it all, and he hadn’t really wanted to kiss her, or maybe he was really trying to sway her into making the decisions he wanted.  Fuck, but she was so confused!

“I’ll stay long enough to cook, but then I’m leaving, okay?”  Her voice was cool, but Tab didn't make any mention of it.  In fact, he looked quite relieved, and inwardly Danielle did a little happy dance.  A part of her was still hopeful that he was genuine, and that he had wanted to kiss her, and that he wanted her to stay...

“Deal!” Tab let out a great, big sigh of relief as he sat back down to finish cleaning the fish.  Danielle looked around.

“What can I do?” She asked as she dragged a chair over in front of him.  Tab looked up, a hopeful smile on his face.

“You can start cooking if you want.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “That is, if ya know how to cook gar…”

Danielle snorted. “Not only can I catch them, but I cook them even better, Mr. Benoit!”

“Well, Ms. Bourgeois, get to it then,” Tab playfully replied as he pushed some of the meat towards her. “Everything's in the kitchen, so make yourself at home.  I’ll be done in the next few minutes, then I’m gonna get a shower.”

“Good deal.” Danielle replied as she grabbed the meat and headed back inside to the kitchen. 

Yes, she was happy that she was still here, and she couldn’t deny that she most definitely didn’t want to leave Tab just yet, but that small, insecure part of her still wondered if he had ulterior motives.   She really hoped he didn't.  She turned and looked back out the window, smiling to herself as she watched him meticulously strip the meat from the bone, his brow creased in concentration as he focused on the task at hand.  He sure didn’t look like a man with a hidden agenda, but what the hell did she know about men?

“Just forget it!” she chided herself as she started rummaging through cabinets to find what she needed. Once she’d gathered everything, she got started, and soon enough the house was filled with the smell of delicious Louisiana gar.


	9. Chapter 9

****

She was just scooping out the last of the meat from the frying pan when Tab walked back out into the kitchen.  He’d finished cleaning the fish, and had jumped in the shower to clean off while she finished cooking.  Danielle gulped when she saw him, his hair still freshly wet and curly from his shower.  He was dressed simply, much like her in pajama pants and a loose tee-shirt, but he made it look so damn sexy with his disheveled self.  She quickly forced her attention back to the food before she burned the shit out of herself.

“Well damn but that smells good!”  He whistled appreciatively as he pulled a piece of meat off the plate on the countertop and popped it in his mouth.  He chewed for a few moments, and broke out into a surprised grin.  “I know who to call when I need some fried gar.” 

Danielle flushed again under his compliments, but said nothing.  She was acutely aware of her breasts, and how her body had immediately reacted to the sight of him coming down the hall.  Adding to her discomfort was the fact that she had no bra on, so every time she moved, his tee shirt – _his shirt, damnit!_ – rubbed against her nipples, drawing them into tight, little, aching buds.  She hoped to god he didn’t notice,  but as thin as this shirt was, she feared it was almost unavoidable! 

* * *

 

From his vantage point at the bar, Tab was doing his best to not stare at her ass, to not ogle her as she moved in front of him.  His pants were way too big for her, but he knew that hiding under those clothes was a lithe, little body that he was dying to touch.  Occasionally his shirt would catch at her waist, or the pants would bunch in certain areas, and he caught glimpses of her round ass, _and lord help him,_ but did he see her nipples straining against his shirt?  _Son of a bitch!_   He grabbed another piece of fish and shoved it in his mouth, nearly choking himself as he tried to settle his ass down.  He was glad he was sitting, because there was no way in hell he could stand up now!  He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, adjusting himself as best as possible, and prayed that Dani wouldn’t notice his discomfort.

“Okay, I think that’s it,” she turned with a smile and carried the plate over to the bar where he sat.  She climbed up in the seat opposite him and ducked her head as she picked at the food on her plate. “I hope you like it.”

Her voice was soft, and Tab guessed she was waiting for his approval.  Without a thought, he scooped a great deal of gar, some hush puppies, and some fried okra onto his plate, and began eating.

“Mmm-mmm!” He closed his eyes as he savored the taste of freshly cooked fish.  Damn but she could cook!  He opened his eyes to see Dani staring back at him hopefully. “This is delicious, Dani!”

“Really?” Danielle asked after shyly.

“Yes, indeed!” He grabbed another bite of food and winked at her.  Danielle almost choked on the food in her mouth, and had to cough a few times to clear her throat.

“I need something to drink. You want something?” she squeaked out as she stood up.  What the fuck with the wink? As if she wasn’t already flustered enough around him, he had to go and wink at her?

“I’ll take another beer, if you don’t mind,” Tab replied as he watched her walk away.  She was shy, then she was smiling, then she was acting stand-offish…what the hell was going on? Was she aware of how attracted he was to her, and maybe it made her uncomfortable?  He knew he was very forward earlier when he’d kissed her, but he couldn’t resist.  She looked so beaten down, so broken, but so beautiful all at the same time, and he didn’t know what else to do to make it stop.  She hadn’t pushed him away either; in fact, he really thought she’d maybe enjoyed it, given the way she was pulling at his shirt.  Had he misread her? 

She walked back over and handed him a beer as she sat back down. She had a beer of her own in her hand, and Tab stared at it and then back up to her.

“What?” she asked him pointedly.  Tab sighed inwardly - there was that fucking attitude back again....

“You’re gonna have to stay in my guest room if you keep drinkin’.” He nodded at her beer matter-of-factly.

“Whatever,” Danielle snorted as she took a long swallow of beer. “You’re not the boss of me.”

“Wow,” Tab muttered as he took another sip of his beer.  She was so damn irritating with her mood swings!  Defiantly, Danielle tilted the beer up and downed it, and Tab leaned back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at her.

“Is there somethin’ goin’ on here that I’m missin’?” He asked bluntly.   Danielle crumpled her empty can in her hand and carelessly dropped it on the counter top.

“You tell me, Tab.” She leaned forward, her eyes narrowed.  “Do you think that you can get me to do things a certain way if you kiss me, or if you’re nice to me?”

“What the fuck are you talkin’ about?” Tab’s voice rose with his growing anger.

“I think I was clear,” Danielle replied in a smart-ass tone that grated on his last fucking nerve.  

He swiped his hand across his stubbled jaw, and took a few deep breaths to calm the rage that was building at her accusations.  Without a word, he stood up and pushed his chair up under the bar and carried his plate to the sink.  He washed the plate off and angrily shoved it in the dishwasher.  All the while, Danielle sat at the bar, her back to him.  He finished his beer, crumpled the can in his hand and tossed it in the trash before he began making his way down the hall to his room.

“Are you seriously gonna leave like that?” Danielle yelled after him, halting him in his tracks.  He looked up at the ceiling and gritted his teeth before he slowly turned around.  He was too damn old to be having these kinds of arguments, especially when he didn’t even know what the fuck they were arguing about.  Danielle had hopped off her chair and was standing at the end of the hall, arms crossed over her chest as she scowled at him.

“Yes.  I actually was gonna go to bed,” Tab replied carefully.  He was doing everything in his power to not take the bait that she was throwing at him; he just wasn’t gonna do it with her.

“Well?” Danielle tapped her foot impatiently. Her lips were taut, and it looked like her chin was trembling, but he couldn't be sure.  She looked like she was in-between tears and full-blown rage, and he couldn’t figure out which it was.  He walked back a few feet towards her and crossed his arms over his own chest.

“Well, what?”

“God you are such an asshole!” Danielle was practically spitting. “I can’t even stand you, I hope you know that!”

Tab moved forward, towering over her as he tilted his head down at her and snarled, “Good, ‘cause I can’t stand your little ass either!”

Danielle’s face crumpled as she stared up at him, and her big, brown eyes filled with tears at his hurtful words.  He’d just knocked the wind out of her, and she’d not expected it to feel like that. While it was exactly what she _needed_ to hear, it was not in the slightest what she _wanted_ to hear.  It hurt more than a little to hear him say how much he despised her, and it completely confirmed her fears about his motives.  She looked around, her vision blurry with her tears as she tried to determine the best way to get out of his house, but when she turned around, Tab grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.  She struggled against him, pounding her small fists against his chest as she tried to free herself.

“Just stop, Dani!” Tab yelled over her head. “Just fuckin’ stop!”

She stopped beating on his chest, her hands falling down to her sides in defeat.

“Why are you so damn hard-headed?” Tab grumbled in her ear as he hugged her tightly to him.  Danielle continued crying softly, her face buried against his chest as she did so, and Tab rubbed her back, his large hands traveling up and down her spine.  He frowned as he felt how thin she was; she really needed to take better care of herself.

“Why did you kiss me?” Danielle whispered against his shirt.

“Why?” Tab chuckled as he squeezed her a little tighter.  God, she was a damn handful!

“Yes, why?”

“Uhm…’cause I’ve wanted to do it for about 15 years or so, and I figured now was a good a time as any.”

Danielle looked up at him in shock. _15 years?_    Since she was 18 years old?  Tab grinned back down at her, but she saw his face turn red with embarrassment at his admission.

“You’re lying.”

“Shit, I wish I was,” Tab chuckled as he pulled her forward and kissed her on her forehead;  Danielle stubbornly pulled back to look up at him.

“It’s not because of the business?”  Her brown eyes were luminous as she peeked up at him.

Tab stared down at her in confusion, but as the wheels turned in his mind and he put two and two together, he finally made the connection: Dani thought he was trying to use her to do something with her father’s company! No fucking wonder she was so suspicious of everything he did! God! _What a damn mess!_   If it wasn't so shitty, he might have laughed!

“Can we go sit down, please?” Tab asked her softly. With a sniffle, Dani nodded, and followed him to the big sectional in the corner of the living room. He sat down and without question, pulled her down on top of him. He discreetly adjusted her on his lap, hoping that she wouldn’t feel what she was doing to him.  She didn't give any sign that she did, as she leaned against him, burying her face up under his chin and rested her cheek against his chest.

“I promise you that whatever I’ve done, and whatever I’m feeling, has nothing to do with your daddy’s company, Dani,” Tab began. His hand rested lightly on her hip as the other traveled up and down her back slowly.

“I thought we hated each other.” Danielle chewed on her fingernails as she spoke.

“Well maybe, but for me, I don’t feel that way no more,” Tab replied carefully. 

 _Nope, what he was feeling for her was definitely not hate._  

He shifted again, willing his body to cooperate and stop doing what it was doing down there! He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut tightly as she wriggled on his lap in an attempt to get more comfortable.   It was obvious that she was completely unaware that she was fucking killing him!

“Okay, well I don’t feel that way either, then.” She snuggled into his neck even closer and pulled her legs up against her chest so that she was completely seated on his lap. It was insane how tiny she was, and he wrapped his arms around her fully, marveling at his ability to do so.

“So what do we do now?” she continued.

“I don’t fuckin’ know,” Tab practically growled against her hair.  He was finding it harder and harder to keep his body from reacting to her, and even now he could feel himself getting harder underneath her ass.  _Holy fucking shit._   Danielle leaned back and stared up at him, her brows drawn together as she tried to figure out what was causing his tone.

“What’s wrong?” She asked as she shifted on his lap. That was when she felt _it_ , and her breath caught as she fully comprehended what exactly was going on.

Tab shrugged helplessly and shook his head.  Both of them had on those thin-ass pajama pants, and there was no hiding something so obvious. Especially not when it was pressed right into her ass so insistently!

“I can’t help it,” he shrugged again as he repeated those words.  There was no denying it any longer, and he throbbed as his body pressed so intimately against Dani. 

Feeling bold –and terrified at the same time – Dani turned and straddled him, her hands on his shoulders as she stared down at him.  He was incredibly tense, and almost looked pained as he stared up at her. His brown eyes were as dark as sin, and hooded, and Danielle shifted against him, just barely grinding her core against his erection. He groaned audibly, and that gave her the confidence she needed - he wanted her as much as she wanted him, she was sure of it now.

“Fuck!  What are you doin’?” Tab breathed out.  He closed his eyes and dropped his head back against the couch, giving Dani the opportunity to kiss his exposed neck.

Her lips tentatively sought out his Adam’s apple, and she brushed against the edge of it with her soft lips.  She could taste the tangy salt on his skin as her tongue darted out,  and the smell of his cologne mixed with his own unique scent filled her nostrils as she breathed against him. His hands snaked up to rest on her hips, and she felt a frisson of excitement course through her body as his fingertips found the exposed skin revealed by her tee-shirt riding up.  She continued kissing him, dragging her lips up the column of his neck until she reached his jaw. That delicious, bearded jaw that she’d longed to touch was now at her mercy.  She nipped at his jawline, earning another groan from him, and she groaned herself when she felt him slide his hands up the back of her shirt to touch her bare skin.  His fingers traveled along her spine, causing her body to break out in goosebumps as she squirmed against him.  When his large hands reached the area right below her shoulders, his fingers were splayed out just enough so that his thumbs brushed the outer edges of her breasts, and Dani arched her back in need, not satisfied with just kissing his neck any longer. Taking her cue, Tab pulled her to him and captured her lips with his. His hands traveled so that his thumbs rested under the edge of her breasts, teasing her in the most ridiculous way possible as he rubbed along the underside. Danielle wrenched her lips from his as she panted.

“Please, Tab,” she moaned as she rolled her hips against him. She could feel the wetness seeping through her pants, soaking the area directly over Tab’s erection as she wantonly undulated her hips against him. She was on fire, and there was only one thing that could put it out. “Please…” she whimpered again as she pulled his head towards her.

Tab’s lips found her throat and he began kissing her, much the same as she had been kissing him.  As Danielle tangled her fingers in his thick hair to hold him to her neck, one rough hand finally found her breast and cupped it gently.   He pulled back and looked up at her with a sexy smirk.

"Nothin' but my shirt, huh?"  His voice was so thick, his Cajun accent heavy with lust as he palmed her in his hand.

Dani yelped when he rolled the pad of his thumb over the nipple of her right breast, and she writhed restlessly against him.  Tab reached down and lifted the hem of the shirt she was wearing and quickly pulled it over her head and tossed it on the floor at his feet.  Danielle felt a moment of insecurity set in as he looked her over, but she barely had time to dwell on that when he leaned forward and covered one breast with his mouth, sucking her nipple deep inside as his tongue laved her mercilessly.

“Oh my fucking god!” Danielle cried as she bent backwards. She was trying to escape him, the pleasure was so intense, but at the very same she didn’t want him to stop.  Undeterred, Tab slid his mouth across the area between her breasts and latched on to the other one in much the same manner.  His hands curled around her shoulders, holding her at an arch as he bent her over his lap and suckled at her breast.  Danielle arched against him, begging and pleading with him to give her what she needed in a mixture of curse words and unintelligible whimpers.  Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Tab reached down and insistently pushed her pajama bottoms away from her hips.

“Take these off,” his voice was low, a husky rumble at her throat as he pushed at her pants.

Danielle moved up onto her knees and quickly rid herself of the pajama pants, leaving herself completely bare before him, and straddled him once again. Tab stared down at her groin from under hooded eyes, and Danielle watched, trembling as he ran his hands along the top of her thighs, his thumbs finally converging on where she wanted him most.  Tab muttered some curse words of his own when her found her soaking wet, her folds slick with need. He set his thumb to work at her clit, circling it slowly, tortuously, as Danielle rolled her hips against him.

“Tab, pl…ple…please,” she stuttered out, her body nearly on the edge of an orgasm she wasn’t quite prepared for.

Her fingernails dug into the skin of his shoulder, and that was when she realized he was still completely dressed.  She pushed his hands away from aching her core, and dragged his shirt up his chest.  Tab helped her and pulled it over his head, tossing it to join her clothing on the floor. Without waiting, Danielle reached down an pushed at the waist of his pajama bottoms, dragging them away from his hips.  She bit her lip when his rock-hard cock sprang free, and she couldn’t help but drag herself across it, soaking both him and her again with her arousal. Tab sucked in a deep breath and dropped his head back against the couch again as Danielle greedily rubbed her body against him.  Needing more, she pushed back up on her knees and kissed the base of his throat again as she maneuvered herself so that he was right at her entrance, and Tab hissed from between clenched teeth as Danielle slowly lowered herself down on top of him.  His fingers dug into her thighs as she slid down his length, and Dani closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, the pleasure exquisitely painful as she stretched to accommodate him.  When she was fully seated, her bottom flush against him, she leaned forward and rolled her forehead against his as she savored the sensation of being filled so fully. 

Both were panting, breathing in each others' breath as they nipped and licked at the others' lips. Danielle pressed her breasts against his bare chest, delighting in the sensation of his chest hair rubbing against her nipples as he began to move his hips against her.  

 “You feel so fuckin’ good,” Tab grunted against her cheek as his hands traveled down to grip her ass and pull at her, spreading her open even wider. His long fingers rested under her sensitive ass cheeks, digging into the skin there as he started pulling and pushing her against his cock. He pulled almost all the way out, and then forcefully pushed back up into her, causing Dani to throw her head back with a strangled scream.  With one hand at the base of her spine for support, Tab reached around and splayed his other large hand on the center of her chest as he pushed her back over his forearm, leveraging her so that he could get at just the right angle as her thrust up into her.  Danielle gripped his thighs as she leaned back, and she nearly came undone when she felt his thumb against her clit again, rubbing her quickly as he rolled his hips into her.

“Come on, baby,” he encouraged her as he lifted his hips  -and her -  off the couch with each thrust. “Come on, Dani!”

He began circling her clit even faster, each swipe drawing ragged cries from Danielle’s throat.  She trembled as she focused all her energy on that spot between her legs, begging and pleading for him to let her come.  Mercifully, she finally felt the tension start to unravel, felt the sensations start to roll over her, and she screamed out his name as she came, her body convulsing and shuddering at his touch.  Feeling her clench around him tightly, Tab quickly followed, his cock contracting deep inside as he filled her. He wrapped his arms around Dani’s bare body and held her to him tightly as he thrust into her a few more times, ensuring that he was completely spent. He shuddered one last time, and collapsed back against the couch, his arms still firmly wrapped around Dani as he held her close.  Both were silent, both in shock and awe at what had just transpired between them. Tab lazily ran his hand up and down Dani’s sweaty back, drawing soft sighs from her as she rested her head against his shoulder.

“You alright?” he asked softly. His voice was so thick, the low timber rumbling against Dani’s chest as he spoke.

“Much better now,” she whispered against him, causing him to chuckle. She smiled to herself as she ran her fingers through his chest hair, pulling and twisting at the coarse hair there.

“So it was all just sexual tension, then?” Tab chuckled again as he ran one hand over her bare hip.

“I guess so,” Dani giggled. “I do like you a lot more now, that's for sure.”

Tab laughed out loud, his stomach contracting as he did so, and Dani felt him jerk inside her. That small movement fanned the tiny ember that was still burning deep in her core, just begging to be ignited again. She moaned softly as she tilted her head and pressed a series of small kisses along his collarbone.

“What are you doing?” he asked huskily.

“What do you think?” Danielle kissed along his jaw, smirking as she felt him grip her thighs to hold her in place as she moved against him.

“I think you’re trying to kill me.” He spread his hands across her ass, pulling her tight to him as cock grew progressively harder inside.  As she moved, he slipped out, and Danielle whimpered in frustrated disapproval.  She tried to capture him again, but Tab held her firm.

“I think we should go to the bedroom,” Danielle nipped at his ear lobe as she managed to rub herself against him again, earning another hiss from Tab. 

Without a word, he pushed up off the couch, and with Danielle still wrapped around him, headed to the bedroom.  He laid her down on the bed and crawled over her, dragging her with him as he pulled them both up to the center of the bed.  Once there, he rolled over, pulling her on top of him as they continued kissing.

His hands roamed over her bare back and butt, and before too long, neither could stand it.  The need to be closer was overwhelming, and Tab rolled them back over, positioning himself in between her spread legs.   As he lay there, he stared into her eyes as he pressed his forehead against hers.  Danielle looked back up at him curiously, wondering what he was thinking.

"'What?"  Her brows were drawn together as she searched his face for answers.

“You’re beautiful, Dani,” Tab leaned down to kiss her on the tip of her nose, and Danielle flushed under him, still embarrassed with compliments coming from him. She reached up and ran her fingers through his thick head of hair and pulled him to her.

“We can talk later, okay?  Make love to me, Tab,” she whispered as she kissed him. Tab chuckled against her lips as his roaming hand found her leg and pulled her up against him, positioning himself at her slick entrance.

“Yes, ma’am,” Tab grunted against her lips as he slid into her.  He propped himself up on his palms as Danielle wrapped her legs around his waist and locked them at her ankles, but Tab had other plans.  He reached around behind him and pushed her feet off, forcing her to let her legs fall out to the side with a hand against the inside of her thigh.  Danielle frowned up at him, but it was quickly replaced with a soft whimper as he started slowly thrusting in and out.  

"We gonna take our time this go 'round," Tab murmured as he pulled out, and slowly slid back in. He looked down, watching as he moved in and out.   His brows were drawn together in concentration, his teeth clenched down on his lower lip as he watched them come together over and over, and Danielle thought it had to be the sexiest thing she'd ever seen in her entire life.   She ran her hand through his hair and tugged, drawing his dark eyes back up to her face.   She tugged again, and Tab released her thigh and moved back up her body.  He claimed her lips with his as Dani wrapped her arms around him, and true to his word, took his time as he made love to her long into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive my use of Mr. James Deen. That is another dude that I can't even with....


	10. Chapter 10

Dani ran her fingers across Tab’s chest, smiling as he flinched when her when she brushed to closely to his ticklish ribs. She had no idea what time it was, although it had to be well after midnight.  

“So what do we do now?” She asked softly.  She was lying on her side, draped over Tab, their naked bodies tangled up amidst the sheets. Tab pulled her closer as he planted a soft kiss at her forehead.

“Well, I was plannin’ on goin' to sleep,” he chuckled as he laid his head back down on the pillow.  Dani giggled as she crawled up and propped herself up on his chest, and Tab looked down his cheeks at her, his eyes just barely cracked open.

“I mean tomorrow,” Dani continued doggedly.  

“Will you be mad if I say I’m too tired for this right now?”  Tab yawned loudly before reaching down and cupping the back of Dani’s head and pulling her to him. He kissed her gently. “I’m exhausted, baby.”

“Okay, I guess,” Dani grumbled as she lay back down against his side.  Tab pulled her in close, and held her tight against his chest with a possessive hand at her waist.  It just barely a few moments when she heard him softly snoring, and she couldn’t resist leaning up to look at him. 

She smiled at what she saw.

When he was awake, he was manly, and rugged, and handsome, and all those other descriptive words you’d use to describe a near middle-aged man who spent a lot of time outdoors; in sleep, however, he was scruffy, and soft, and cuddly and just plain adorable.  He had arms that were made for hugging, and a chest that was made for nuzzling against; he was just so warm and inviting.  His ridiculously thick eyelashes rested against his full cheeks, and those beautifully full lips pursed as he twitched in his sleep.  His free arm was flung out to the side, revealing the long, lean lines of his arms, and a sinewy bicep.  As her eyes traveled over him, she bit her lip as she stared at his chest.  Tab had the perfect amount of chest hair – not too much, and not too little – just somewhere in between, spread darkly over his skin.  It ran down the length of his chest, in-between his pectoral muscles and tapered into a thin, dark line below his navel.  She shook her head at herself and her wayward thoughts as she pictured what rested below that sheet that was perched just barely over his hips.  He was tired, and she needed to let him rest; she knew this.

With a sigh, she turned over, pushing her back up against his side and wrapped herself around a pillow.  Tab rolled over, draping his arm across her waist as he snuggled into the back of her neck, and his breath was warm against her skin as he slept peacefully. 

But Danielle couldn’t sleep; she was unsettled in more ways than one. She wanted to talk to him – _no, she needed to talk to him_ \- to find out where they stood and what tonight meant for the future.  She also needed to explain a few things to him, if, in fact they were going to have some kind of future.  While she wasn’t dating anyone, she wasn’t exactly single.  _Hell._   She really didn’t know what she was, if she were to be honest, and her face contorted into a grimace as she thought about that little detail in her life.   

This thing with Matt Chauvin was weird, and had always been weird.  She’d dated Matt off and on for the past 4 or 5 years.  Both of them – she and Matt – knew it was a bad relationship, and it was dysfunctional, but for whatever reason, they kept going back to each other.  Maybe it was being abroad, and having no real connection outside of the states, that brought them back together time and time again.  Maybe it was the company that kept them together, because in reality, Matt was her father’s right hand man - all things considered.  While she now owned the company outright, Matt would be considered the vice president...maybe even interim CEO now that her father was dead.  Lord knows she didn’t know the ins and outs like Matt did…

…and now Matt was on his way to Houma to join her as they discussed what to do with the company.

He’d called her yesterday, letting her know that he would be here in the next few days.  He’d also asked if he could stay at her place, and she’d said yes, as she didn’t want to be alone at her father’s home.  All of this transpired before this... thing... with Tab, and she could almost vividly see the train wreck that was approaching from a mile away. Matt was coming here, to Houma, to sit at her side and work with her as they determined the future of her father’s business.

_Matt was going to be in Houma…_

_Tab was going to be in Houma…_

_…and she was going to be right in the middle._

It was going to be a nightmare; she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

Matt cheated on her repeatedly, but despite that, she knew he would flip a switch when he realized she was sleeping with Tab Benoit. He was just kind of controlling like that, if that was a good word to describe him.  He justified  his dalliances with the fact that they were never _really_ an item, and so therefore they were never _really_   tied to each other in a committed relationship.  Danielle couldn't disagree with that, and after the first few times of finding out about his indiscretions, she'd given up on monogamy with Matt.   She'd been no innocent angel, either, although Matt didn't need to know that, and she'd never given him any indication that she'd seen other people beside him during their time together.  They were sort of like weird 'friends with benefits,' but Danielle had repeatedly started wondering over the years who was benefiting more in the relationship.  Matt came and did what he wanted, when he wanted.  He never failed to put on a good show for her father, though, and she'd never had the heart to tell her daddy that she and Matt weren't really that kind of couple.  He'd wanted grandchildren so badly...

There was certainly no love lost between Matt and Tab either.  He’d had his fair share of run-ins with Tab, alongside her father, and Danielle had heard it time and time again how much he despised Tab Benoit.  Hell, Tab would probably flip his own switch when he realized that she’d been seeing Matt all these years.  She wondered what the hell she was gonna do with this situation she found herself in. 

She really liked Tab, now that she’d gotten to know him more. Like really, really liked him.  He was kind, and gentle, and patient with her, unlike Matt, who was always short with her, and pushy about everything.   All those years spent hating Tab on principle alone seemed like such a waste now that knew him better.  Matt was vain, and narcissistic, and seemed to only want or need her _when he wanted or needed her._   He would never have offered to take care of Blue for her like Tab did, and he’d never have taken her fishing like Tab had, especially not after she’d been such a bitch. 

And she’d certainly never felt anything with Matt that even remotely resembled what she felt when she and Tab made love. There was absolutely no comparison in that department. 

She chewed on her nail and smiled to herself as she remembered the hours prior.  Tab was so gentle with her, so encouraging and sweet.  She felt almost worshiped by him, and felt as if he really cared about her as he made love to her.  The first time on the couch was fucking – _there was no getting around that;_ that had been driven purely by need and sexual frustration that had built between them.  The times after, however,  had been completely different.  Tab had taken his time with her, seeming to savor every movement, to hang on to every soft whisper spoken in the dark, and to delight in even the tiniest of touches between the two of them.  Whereas Matt would have gotten up to take a shower afterwards, and either left or gone to do work, she and Tab were still lying in bed, as close together as they were when making love.  She felt protected with him, especially now with his arm draped over her so loosely, but still holding her so close.  With Matt, she always felt empty afterwards; with Tab, her heart felt complete, and she was so damn happy she could hardly stand it. 

She sighed again as she thought about what that meant in the grand scheme of things.  Tab made her happy - bottom line.  He’d definitely changed over the past few years, had settled down somewhat.  He was still very passionate about his conservation efforts, but he seemed to approach things in a much quieter way, to bring awareness when he could, rather than trying to shove it down people’s throats as he had been doing for so long.  The age difference didn’t bother her, as she’d always preferred older men to men her age, and Tab certainly didn’t look or act like he was pushing 50.  He was fun, and he was laid-back, and he was just...nice...and nice was what she needed right now in her life.  She didn't need the bullshit, no-strings attached fucking that came with Matt and those other men.  She needed security, and she needed someone that was just as invested in her as she was in them. 

With a hopeful smile, she reached down and grabbed Tab's hand and drew up up to her chest, holding it tight against her.  She closed her eyes, knowing she needed to get some sleep, but her mind kept going, wondering if the man behind her - if Tab Benoit - was that someone that she had needed for so long...


	11. Chapter 11

The next day, Danielle found herself alone in Tab’s bed.  She sat up, stretching as she looked around the room.  It couldn’t be too late, as the sun was just barely peeking over the treetops, spreading it’s warmth across the Louisiana bayous.  Danielle clutched the sheet to her chest and looked around for her clothes, only to remember she didn’t have any clothes.  With a shit-eating grin and cheeks pink with embarrassment, she reached out and grabbed Tab’s tee-shirt and slipped it on over her head.  Not bothering with the pajama pants, she silently padded down the hall to find him. He wasn’t in the kitchen, and he wasn’t in the living room, and he wasn’t anywhere else in the house.   She finally found him out on the back porch, Blue sprawled out at his feet.

He was shirtless and barefoot, only wearing those loose jeans he was so fond of.  He was sitting in one of the patio chairs, rocking it back and forth with his foot on the wooden porch rail as he stared out across his backyard and towards the water.  One hand was spread across the back of his head, while the other was at his mouth, holding what looked like a toothpick in place as he chewed on it.  He looked deep in thought, that crease between his eyebrows that was ever-present was deeper than usual,  and she hesitated for a just a moment, wondering if he wanted to be bothered by her.    Ignoring her insecurity,  Danielle opened the door and stepped out onto the back porch, drawing Tab’s eyes to her.

“Mornin’ beautiful,” he smiled up at her, his features instantly softening.  

“Hey,” Danielle replied, her voice soft and shy as she closed the screen door behind her.  Tab motioned for her to come to him, and she did so, falling down into his lap as he wrapped his arms around her.  She placed her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, but started squirming when his fingers grazed the bare skin of her thighs.

“You in my tee-shirts and nothing else? I like this look,” Tab murmured appreciatively as his hands grew ever bolder. Danielle grabbed his hand and held it still as she leaned back to look at him.

“We have to talk first, okay?” She gave him her best serious look, and was actually surprised when he gave her a serious look back.  He pulled his hand from hers, and rested it at her waist.

“Yeah, we do.” He looked down at her lap before looking up again.  His brows were drawn together again,  and Danielle started worrying if maybe his news might be bigger than hers. Did he have a girlfriend, or a wife even?  She felt her heart start thrumming in her chest with anxiety of what he may have to say.

“You go first,” Danielle breathed out. She tried to control the wariness in her voice as she gave him an encouraging smile. 

“I’m leaving for about 3 months,” Tab stated softly. He rubbed his hand along her thigh again. “I’m going on tour, and it’s all over the country, so I’ll be busy, Dani.”

“When do you leave?”  Danielle couldn’t keep the sadness out of her voice at his news.  _She’d just gotten him and now she was gonna lose him?_

“Late this evening, actually.  We’re heading to Florida for a few shows, and then up the East coast,” Tab answered her as he ran a hand up and down the side of his bearded jaw. 

He sounded weary already, and she wondered at the toll this traveling was taking on him touring so much.  Seriously, how long can somebody work the way he did?  Even when he was home, he seemed like he was always working on something or the other.  They'd talked long into the night about their jobs, about their hopes and goals for the future.  Tab had done most of the talking, and Danielle could see just how passionate - and how dismayed he was - over the Mississippi River and the problems plaguing the Louisiana coast.  It seemed like he was fighting this battle all on his own, and her heart broke for him.  She could hear in his voice how much he loved his home.   They hadn't discussed her company, or her plans, but she felt like Tab knew her - and she knew him - much more than they ever had before.  

_And now he was leaving for three whole months..._

The only saving grace in all this was that she didn’t really need to tell Tab about Matt, since Matt wouldn’t get here til after Tab was gone.  While she was relieved, she immediately felt guilty even thinking about not telling him, but what choice did she have?  Besides, she reasoned with herself,  why should she worry him over something so meaningless?  By the time he got back, Matt would be gone, or she would have found him somewhere else to stay, and Tab would be none the wiser. It would work out for everyone involved. She lay her head down at his chest, and snuggled in, wanting to savor every moment left.

“You can always come see me if you want,” Tab mumbled quietly as he wrapped his hand around hers. “I mean, if you want to.” He sounded so uncharacteristically uncertain, and Danielle had to lean back  to look at him.  He just barely glanced up at her before looking back down at their joined hands.

“Really?” She asked, a hopeful smile resonating in her voice.

Tab looked up at her, and seeing her smile, he hesitantly smiled back.  Seeing his cheeks reddening and feeling the tenseness in his body, Danielle couldn’t resist, and kissed him, pulling him to her with a hand at the back of his neck.  Tab relaxed almost immediately, and held her close with his hand at her hip as they kissed.  However, it wasn’t long before the innocent kissed turned into something else, and Danielle shifted restlessly on his lap as she felt him growing hard underneath her bottom. She ran her hands up the center of his chest and around his shoulders as she tried to maneuver herself in just the right position, but Tab had other plans.  He scooted forward to the end of the chair and grabbed her legs, forcing her to straddle him as he stood up. Realizing what he was doing, Danielle wrapped her arms around his neck as she tightened her legs around his waist, and she continued kissing along his bearded jaw as he carried her into the house.  He just barely kicked the door shut behind them, and carried her to the couch and gently laid her down.  Danielle wasted no time in ridding herself of his shirt, and she giggled as Tab struggled to get out of his jeans.

“You wear too much clothes, Mr. Benoit,” she giggled again as she pulled him to her with her hands at his shoulders.  He finally managed to kick his jeans off, and nestled himself between her thighs.  Danielle sighed in contentment as he started kissing along her collarbone and up along her neck.

“Is that so, Ms. Bourgeois?” Tab chuckled as he made his way up her jaw.  His chocolate brown eyes met hers, and Danielle’s breath caught as he slid in, sinking himself in her delicious warmth. As she clenched around him, Tab hissed from between his teeth, buried his face against her neck, and started to move…

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, Danielle was packed up and getting ready to head to her house.  Blue would stay at Tab’s, and she would come to check on him and feed him until her fence got put up later this week.  She was walking through the house, making sure she’d not forgotten anything, when she came across a picture on Tab’s wall. 

It was him and a woman...and it certainly wasn’t a sister. 

She doubted it was even a friend, unless he was that damned friendly with everyone.  Her frown grew as she leaned forward to stare at it, her brown eyes critically scrutinizing every tiny detail of the couple.  The woman was beautiful by any measures, with long chestnut-brown hair and what looked like emerald-green eyes.  She was tall, and lean, and she and Tab looked like they would make beautiful children together.   The woman was laughing, her head tossed back in what appeared to be a squeal of delight caught just as the camera took the shot of the pair. Tab had his arms wrapped around her, and he was grinning as he kissed her perfect, porcelain cheek and held her hand...

...and he had a gold band around his ring finger;  she could see it clear as day as the woman gripped his fingers.  Danielle couldn't make out if the woman had on a wedding ring, as her hand was wrapped up in Tab's much larger one. 

Danielle continued staring, getting more and more aggravated by the minute, but she couldn’t figure out why it bothered her so much.  Tab was no one to her, and she had no right to pry in his love life, or whatever the fuck was going on in this picture. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted as she focused her angry glare on the woman in Tab’s arms; she didn’t hear Tab come up behind her.  She did, however, flinch when he placed his hands on her tense shoulders, and she stood stiffly in front of him. 

“That’s my ex-wife, Bethany,” he offered, answering her unspoken question.

“You were married?” Danielle couldn’t hide the shock in her voice at his admission.  It had never occurred to her that maybe he’d been married, or whatever!

“Yep. Almost 10 years,” Tab replied easily.  He rested his chin on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

_Was that sadness she heard in his voice?_   Danielle forced herself to not dwell on that, and to not be aggravated, because he could feel whatever the hell he wanted to feel, right?  Still, it didn’t stop the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

“She couldn’t handle the tourin’ and shit,” he continued.

“So she dumped you?” Danielle quietly asked.  She really didn’t want to hear that answer, and she regretted asking the damn question in the first place.

“Yep.” Tab nodded against her.  

Danielle painfully swallowed the lump that was quickly forming in her throat at that revelation.  Bethany had left him...not the other way around.  Did that possibly mean he still had feelings for the woman?  _Seriously, could you get a more perfect name than Bethany-fucking- Benoit??_   He still had her fucking picture on the wall, for fuck’s sake! She could feel the anger rising in her, and she closed her eyes in an attempt to tamp it down before it spilled over and made it's presence known.

“How long have you been divorced?” Her voice was barely above a whisper now.

“Less than a year,” Tab answered again. “I guess I forgot to take down this picture when I got rid of everything else." 

Danielle blinked back tears, and again she was shocked at her reaction to something so seemingly small.  It was a picture for God’s sake!  Maybe he had forgotten to take it down, just like he said?  Men weren’t usually interior decorators, and Tab was never home, so maybe it had slipped his mind? 

Or - her niggling doubts taunted her – maybe he was still heartbroken over her and couldn’t stand to take the picture down?  She bit her lower lip at that thought. Why did it hurt so bad to think that he might love someone, that he might care for someone else?  She wasn’t his girlfriend, and she wasn’t his wife! Hell, just yesterday she’d still hated him!

“Dani? You alright?” Tab asked gently. He turned her around in his arms, and his brows drew together at the pained look on her face. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Danielle plastered a smile on her face, and shook her head without answering. She pressed herself against his chest and hugged him tightly, hoping that she could contain her emotions before he saw through her.  She was jealous as fuck, that’s exactly what was going on!  _Why she was jealous,_ she had no idea!

“Dani?” Tab asked again as he smoothed his hands up and down her back.

“I’m just gonna miss you, is all,” she mumbled against his shirt.

“You sure? You sound like you’re upset about somethin’,” Tab countered. He leaned back and stared down at her. “Are you cryin’, sweetie?”

“I’m just really, _really_ gonna miss you,” Danielle lied as she stared up at him through glossy eyes.  She gave him a wobbly smile, and tugged on his shirt to pull him down to her. “Kiss me. I need to get going.”

Tab’s brown eyes searched hers for a few moments, but he did as she asked and kissed her.  Afterwards, he wrapped her up in his arms and hugged her tightly.

“I feel like I’m missin’ somethin’,” he murmured against the top of her curly head, as together, they walked over to the front door. 

Once there, Danielle moved out of his arms and grabbed her things.  She had to get out of this house as soon as possible. She needed to get somewhere away from him and sort her feelings out. When she was around him, she couldn’t think straight.  She fiddled with her phone, her fingers shaking as she messed with it.  Tab reached out and grasped her hand in his, and she looked up at him with cautious eyes.

“I’ll call you when we get to Tampa, okay?” Tab assured her; he didn’t know what else to say, honestly.  Danielle merely nodded, and a few moments later she was pulling out of his driveway and headed back to her house. 

Tab watched her drive away from his front porch. He could tell something was wrong, although he couldn’t put his finger on it. She’d gone from happy to that – _whatever that was_ – in no time flat, and he couldn’t figure out what the deal was.  He tried to think back, to see if maybe he’d done something wrong, but he couldn’t recall anything off hand that may have put her in such a mood.  He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that she was regretting last night and today, and that bothered him more than he cared to admit. She probably couldn’t wait for him to leave, to be rid of him, all things considered.  He angrily kicked the front door shut and went back in to finish packing.  He had to be at the studio in less than 2 hours so that they could hit the road to Florida.  He wouldn’t be back in Louisiana for almost an entire month, and he knew it was gonna be the longest month of his life now that Dani had entered into his world.

He could only hope that she would want to come visit him….


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dislike Tom Brady so much that I made him the bad guy ;-) Cause I can, that's why!

It was a 4 days later when Matt finally arrived in Houma, and Danielle was really, really not looking forward to him being there.  She fiddled with her phone as she waited in the airport parking lot for him.   Bored, she looked over her text messages again, and blushed when she re-read some of the ones from Tab.

 

**“I miss you”**

**“Please come see me”**

**“I can’t wait to go fishing with you again”**

 

_And her absolute favorite, the one that made her weak in the knees…_

**“I sleep better when I’m next to you”**

She grinned as she nibbled on her fingernail.  She had texted him back after that message, reminding him that they’d only woken up together one whole time, but he was undeterred. He insisted that he’d never slept that good ever before, and he couldn’t wait to do it again.  She couldn’t deny it warmed her heart and made her all tingly inside when she thought about how she wanted to wake up next to him, too.  These last few days had been miserable, even more so as she had to go to his house every day for at least a few hours. She’d completely avoided _that picture_ since the day she’d left Tab; hell, that was the one part of the house she didn’t venture into anymore! But even so, that picture couldn't ruin the feelings she was developing for him.  She missed him like crazy, that was no damn lie.   They’d spent lots of hours on the phone, talking and texting, and she wished more than anything that she could just go and follow him around...at least then she could be waiting for him when he was done.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she was dismayed to see that it was Matt.

**Matt: I’m here**

Danielle groaned as she looked out of her window and started scanning the crowd for Matt.  A few moments later, he appeared, looking completely out of place in southern Louisiana in his grey cardigan and pageboy hat.  She frowned to herself.  He looked like a walking advertisement for J.Crew, and she immediately wondered what the hell she’d ever seen in him! Yes, he was handsome, but only superficially so.  He was the kind of guy that could make your head turn, but the closer you got to him, and the more you got to know him, you realized that he was the kind that only got uglier. It was true what they said – 'you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig'.  Matt was definitely a pig...

 

 

With a sigh, she opened her door and waved her hand so that Matt would see her. He did, and made his way over to her truck and tossed his luggage in the bed. When he climbed in, Danielle got a whiff of his overpowering cologne, and she nearly gagged.

“Hey, baby,” Matt purred sickeningly as he leaned across the console for a kiss.  Danielle pulled away, flattening herself against her door as Matt stared at her with curious eyes. “No kiss, huh? Guess you didn’t miss me that much?”

“I’m not in the mood, Matt,” Danielle retorted as she buckled and put the truck in gear.

“We’ll have to fix that later, huh?” Matt wolfishly grinned at her as he reached over and ran his hand along her jean-clad thigh. Danielle yelped and turned her angry glare on him.

“Don’t touch me, Matt!” She was practically snarling, and Matt recoiled, clearly shocked by her reaction.

“What the fuck’s got into you?” He asked her, his tone angry.  He pulled his cell out and started typing into it furiously.

“You can stay with me tonight, but that’s it,” Danielle stated matter-of-factly. Bewildered again, Matt looked up at her.

“What? Why?”

“Because we’re done, Matt.” Danielle turned the truck out onto the highway and headed back to her father’s house.

“You got a boyfriend or something?” Matt asked bluntly.  Danielle’s heart fluttered at the menacing tone underlying his words, but she didn’t back down.

“I might. Either way, you and I are finished.”

“I’ve heard that before, Danielle,” Matt chuckled as he pulled his cap off and ran his fingers through his short hair.

“Well this time it’s true,” Danielle retorted angrily.  She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and she was even more aggravated when she saw him laughing at her.  _Bastard._   “I’m serious, Matt.  When we get to my house,  you can sleep in the spare room. Tomorrow, you’ll find somewhere else to go.”

“Huh,” Matt murmured as he stared at her for a few moments, but then turned back to his phone. The two didn’t speak for the rest of the ride.

* * *

 

Later that evening, Danielle was sitting on the back porch at her father’s house – _when would she stop calling it that?_ – when her cell rang, jolting her out of her reverie.  Glancing down at her phone, her face broke out into a huge smile when she realized it was Tab.

“Hello?” She tried not to sound to breathless, but she couldn’t keep the happiness out of her voice.

“Hey, beautiful.” Tab’s voice came over the line, the warm timber melting her and soothing her all at the same time. “How are you?”

“Better now,” Danielle answered honestly. Somewhere in the house was Matt, and she was doing everything she could to remain civil, when all she wanted to do was kick his ass out.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. The usual stuff,” Danielle answered evasively. “Missing you…” Her voice had grown shy, and she drew her knees up to her chest as she waited for his response.

“Can’t be as much as I miss you,” Tab replied, causing Danielle’s smile to grow a mile wide. 

“Where are you?”

“We just left Florida. Heading to Atlanta,” Tab sighed, and Danielle could hear the weariness in his voice.  Poor guy.

“Have you slept any?” She was worried about this pace that he was keeping up…

“Yeah, but it ain’t good on this bus,” Tab chuckled over the line. “And you ain’t here waitin’ for me, so…”

“I wish I could be.”  Oh how she wished she was anywhere but here!  “Maybe when-“

“Danielle?” Matt called from the back door.  With an aggravated groan, Danielle turned and looked at him, holding her finger up over her lips to shush him.  Matt, in true bastardly form, started grinning as he stepped out on the patio.

“You talking to lover boy?” He sneered as he came closer to her.

“Dani?” Tab’s voice came over the line, and she could hear the uneasy tone that had crept in his voice. “Do I need to let you go?”

“No, no!” Danielle stood up, frustrated, and glared at Matt as she made her way back in the house and headed to her room.  That son of a bitch Matt followed her of course!

“Did you tell him about us, Danielle?  Does he know I’m staying with you tonight?” Matt jeered gleefully as he followed her down the hall. 

Ignoring him, Danielle closed her eyes as her heart dropped in her chest at what Matt had just done;  the silence on the phone indicated Tab had heard the conversation very clearly.  She hastily made her way into her bedroom, and shut and locked the door.

“Tab?” She asked, hoping and praying he hadn’t hung up.   Just when she thought he had, he replied, but his tone was nothing like before;  all the playfulness and sweetness was long gone.

“Is there somethin’ you need to tell me, Dani?” His words were measured.

“No. I mean…yes…Okay that’s a friend, and he flew in from overseas, and he had nowhere to stay so he’s staying tonight with me, but tomorrow he’s leaving,” Danielle stuttered all over the place as she rushed out her explanation. 

“Is this guy more than a friend? ‘Cause he sounded like more than a friend, Danielle.”

Danielle blanched at his use of her full name.  He was pissed – she could hear it in his voice.

“He was, a long time ago, but not anymore,” Danielle tried to assure him. “I promise, Tab.  He’s gone tomorrow. This all happened before you and I, and I couldn’t reach him before he landed. Please believe me?”

“Well, I don’t have a choice, do I?” Tab countered.  

His accusatory tone had finally gotten on Danielle's nerves, and she could feel herself getting angry at the insinuations.  Tab was driving all over the county, doing the traveling musician thing, and she was just supposed to trust him, no questions asked?   Not to mention he still had pictures of his ex-wife on the walls of his house!  God! The nerve of these fucking men, both of them!

"Dani?" 

"What?" Danielle huffed out angrily.  Her foot was tapping against the carpet irritably. 

"Are you gettin' mad at me,"  Tab asked incredulously.   "I didn't do anything wrong, Dani!"

"Neither did I, Tab!" Danielle shot back with the same amount of heat. 

"I think I'll call you later, okay?"  Tab's voice was flat now, and Danielle thought it sounded like he just really wanted to get off the phone with her. 

"Do you still love Bethany?"  Danielle blurted out.  Mortified at her words and blatant insecurity, she almost dropped the phone.   More deafening silence came over the line.

"What the hell kinda question is that?"  Tab finally barked out, his voice full of aggravation and not a little annoyance. 

"It's nothing. Forget I ever mentioned it, okay?"  Danielle did her best to try to erase the previous few minutes, but it was a lost cause.   The lid to Pandora's box had already been opened, and it was all spilling out...

"You know, I don't know what the hell is goin' on.  We had a good few days together, and now this shit with some guy at your house, and that...question...about my ex."  Tab sounded like he was beyond irritated, and Danielle didn't know what to do.  She couldn't blame him for feeling that way, though...

"I'm sorry," Danielle mumbled sadly.  She was too damn old to be acting this way, especially with a man that up until a few days, she hated.  They had spent a few days together, and now she was acting like a girlfriend that had been cheated on.  What was it about Tab that made her insane?  She had never been this jealous in her life, and it was so ridiculous since it was just a damn picture.  Now, Tab probably thought she was insane, and immature, and-

"I'll text you or call you later, okay?"  Tab's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Danielle felt her throat constrict.  This was not how she wanted this conversation to go.  Not at all. 

"Where are you going now?"  Danielle asked.  She wanted to make things right, to assure him that she wasn't as crazy as he probably thought she was right now, but the truth was, _he was making her crazy!_

"I told you, Atlanta," Tab replied, sighing wearily as he did so.  She could tell he really, really wanted to get off the phone with her. 

"Atlanta, right.  Have a good trip, okay?"  Danielle whispered.  She was on the verge of tears, but she knew she had no one to blame but herself for such childish behavior. 

"Yep." 

Danielle sat in stunned silence as she realized Tab had hung up the phone after that one-word reply.  She sank down against her bed, falling until she was sitting completely on the floor. 

_God!  Why was she so damn stupid??_

She stared at her phone through eyes blurry with tears of self-pity, and she knew there was only one thing to do.  She had to go see him, to make things right and explain herself to him.  Even if he didn't want to see her, she had to at least try. 

 

 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Danielle touched down in Atlanta the following morning.  Tab was playing that evening at Smith’s Olde Bar in downtown Atlanta, and she was going to see him...whether he wanted her to or not.  She had to explain, to make things right.  Matt had left the night before after Danielle had cussed him out royally for his asshole move he had made while she was on the phone.  They'd argued for a good long while, even getting to the point where they were yelling and screaming at each other.  She threatened to call the cops if he didn’t leave, and he finally did, although it wasn’t under good circumstances.   She couldn’t be bothered with that though – she’d worry about Matt later.  All that had mattered was going to Tab and explaining why she was behaving the way she did, and to assure him she wasn't as crazy as she appeared to be.  When Matt had finally left, she’d gotten a high school friend to watch Blue, and had hopped on the first flight out of New Orleans before the crack of dawn.  Now she was in Atlanta, and had the rest of the day to get ready before she would show up at the venue. 

As she walked through the terminal to get her rental car, she wondered at the wisdom of her poorly thought-out and ill-conceived plan to just fly out and show up.  Maybe he would be happy to see her…or maybe he’d be pissed off still; she didn’t know.  He’d not answered any of her texts or calls after their horrible conversation, and that had only stressed her out even more, and she’d purchased the plane ticket before she had even thought it through.  She made her way to the Hertz kiosk, ticket in her shaky hand, and picked up her car.  As she headed out of the airport parking lot, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself and try to ease her nerves.  It was too late now to turn back….

* * *

 

She watched him from the far corner, and she couldn’t help but smile as she sipped on her beer.  He was completely in his element, and he and the crowd were completely in sync. He loved what he did, and it showed on his face.   Song after song, hilarious story after story, he kept the crowd enthralled with a mixture of good humor and teasing - from both him and the crowd.  She'd never seen him perform other than that time at Ruby's, and honestly, she was just as enraptured as the rest of the crowd.  She'd definitely have to do this again!  One of his songs,  [Solid Simple Thing,  ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL7vIJslNWI)brought a huge smile to her face, and she couldn't help but wonder - _and hope?_ \- that maybe he was thinking a little bit about her?  _Nah_ , she told herself as she watched him over the top of her beer.  He was just singing a song, and it had nothing to do with her!  She would spend the rest of the night tucked away in the corner, watching and waiting for him to finish, and hoping that she could catch him before he left. 

* * *

 

When the show was over, Danielle walked the small distance out back to where she was told Tab might be.  When she opened the door and stepped out onto the landing, she found him leaned up against the back wall of the building, a drink in one hand, along with a sharpie.  There were lots of people already around him, each with something to sign or some conversation that needed to be had.  Tab looked tired, and sweaty, but he never once seemed like the fans were inconveniencing him. 

He was smiling at someone he was talking to, and for a moment she hesitated, wondering if she’d been too audacious in deciding to fly out here without telling him.   She really didn't know this man, her insecurities tugged at her, and she couldn't argue with them.   When she saw a female walk up to him and throw her arms around him, her eyes narrowed as jealousy filled her again.

 _“Stop it!”_ she whispered to herself! She twisted the strap of her purse between her fingers restlessly, and then reached up and smoothed her crazy hair down as best as possible - anything to distract her from watching Tab interact with that woman.   She had to calm down, or she’d just be bringing the same problem from last night all the way to Atlanta.  All he’d done was hug someone – it was part of his job, and she had to be okay with that. Danielle looked away as he continued talking to the woman, and she (im)patiently waited for the right moment to approach him.  When the woman finally left, Danielle saw an opening, took a deep breath, and pulled her purse tight around her shoulder and moved out of the shadows.  Her heart pounded painfully in her chest as she made her way over to him.

“Tab?”  She walked slowly up to his left side as she quietly called his name.  He turned, and stared in what she thought was disbelief at her for a few moments, but then a huge smile broke out on his face.  Without waiting, he moved to her and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight against his sweaty chest.  Danielle felt like crying, she was so damn happy, and she sagged against him in relief.

“What are you doin’ here?” He asked as he released her and looked down at her.

“I came to see you,” Danielle shyly answered. “Is it okay?” She swallowed nervously, and she could feel herself trembling in his hands.

“Is what okay?” Tab asked as he ran his hands up and down her arms to soothe her.

“That I came here…” She nervously fiddled with a button on his shirt, twisting it between her fingertips as she waited for him to respond.

“Are you kiddin’ me?” Tab pulled her in for another hug, and this time Danielle wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest. “I’m so damn glad to see you!”  His fingers tangled in her hair as he kissed her on top of her curly head.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Danielle pathetically mumbled against his chest.  Tab’s laugh rumbled through his chest, alleviating a bit more of her anxiety.  Maybe he wasn’t mad at her…

“Let’s talk about that later, okay?” He leaned back and stared down at her. He was still smiling, and Danielle couldn’t help but smile back - he looked so cute, and so tired, and so warm and inviting!  And, he was smiling and behaving like he was really glad to see her, and she felt herself blush under his gentle gaze.   _How was it possible to look as handsome as the devil, but still seem as sweet and innocent as a giant teddy bear?_

Hearing someone call his name, she reluctantly moved out of his arms and gave him some space.

“Maybe I should let you finish doing all this,” she looked around and saw more people approaching him.  Tab looked as well, and when he turned back to her there was regret written on his face.

“Hold on for a minute, okay?” He told her before turning to his manager who was standing off to his left. “John, hey, let me go over here and talk to my friend here, and then I’ll come back and sign and take pictures, okay?”  John, Tab’s manager, smiled over at Danielle as he nodded his head at Tab.  With a nod of his own, Tab reached down, grabbed Danielle’s hand, and led her to the bus door, and she quickly followed him up the steps, nearly tripping in the dark with all the lights being off.   Just as soon as she and Tab reached the top, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Danielle barely had time to breathe as Tab pushed her back against the wall of the bus, and she happily wrapped her arms around him and tangled her fingers in his sweaty hair.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” he breathed against her lips when he finally released her.  Danielle playfully nuzzled his nose with hers.

“I was worried you’d be mad, but it seems like you’re happy to see me,” she giggled as she ran her hands down his back and playfully grabbed his butt.  Tab groaned against her.

“Very, very happy.” He kissed her again and leaned back. “But I gotta go out here and do this thing real quick.  All these people been waitin’, and…”

“Go, Tab,” Danielle smiled up at him as she placed a finger over his lips to shush him. “I’ll wait here for you if you want?” She looked around the bus and then back up at him.

“I’m all the way in the back if you wanna hang out there. Here,” he grabbed her hand and led her down the hall, “I’ll show you.” They walked all the way to the end, and Tab flipped on a light, illuminating the small room.

There wasn’t much too it.  It was basically a bed that took up the whole back end of the bus. The bed was messy, and there were clothes strewn everywhere. She giggled as she looked up at Tab, one eyebrow arched.

“Messy Marvin, huh?” She playfully pinched his side, and laughed as Tab ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment as he, too, surveyed his mess. 

“Do you wanna go to a hotel? We’re not leaving til tomorrow morning, so we can do that if you want.”  He turned back to her and gently ran a fingertip down her jaw.

“I don’t care as long as I’m with you,” Danielle murmured as she turned her head and rubbed her cheek against his hand. Tab’s eyes darkened and he pulled her to him again for another sweet kiss.

“Give me an hour or so, and I’ll be back, okay?” He nipped at her jaw, earning a groan from Danielle. “Thanks for comin’, Dani.”

Not knowing what else to do, Danielle leaned up on her tip-toes and kissed him on his stubbly chin. “Go do your thing, Mr. Benoit.” She reached down and patted him on the butt, earning a disapproving look from Tab, but it only made her giggle even more. 

"How am I supposed to leave when you're doin' that?"  He growled as he reached down and did the same to her, gripping her ass and pulling her flush against him.  "Can you feel what you're doing to me, baby?"  

Danielle wrapped her arms around his neck and bit at her lower lip to stifle her whimper at the feeling of his body pressed so close to hers.  She most certainly could feel what she was doing to him - _the evidence was pressed insistently against her abdomen_ \- and it took everything in her to not beg him to make love to her!    She knew, however, that they needed to discuss things before they went any further;  they had to clear the air and sort things out first.   She pushed back away from him, removing herself from the intimate contact with his body, and smiled up at him.

"Just go, okay?"  She shooed him with her hands.  "The quicker you go, the quicker you can get back."

Without a word,  he cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her one last time, and then walked out of the small room and back out to his waiting fans outside the bus. 

With nothing else to do,  Danielle turned her focus back to his room, and tried to determine the best course of action to get it cleaned up.  For one man, he sure could destroy a room!  He had stuff everywhere, and a part of her wanted to scoop it up in a pile and shove it in the drawers that she assumed were empty.  They had to be empty, right, because all his stuff _was everywhere but in the drawers!_ But, she knew herself, and she knew she couldn't do that, so she grabbed what she assumed was a laundry bag and started picking up things, and putting stuff in the right place.   All in all, it took her less than 15 minutes.  She sat down on the freshly made bed, and pulled at her lower lip with her fingers.  What to do, what to do...

She had no idea how long Tab was gonna be, and quite honestly, her jet lag - _combined with the fact that it was after 1am_ \- was starting to catch up to her.   She yawned loudly as she made her way to the small bathroom, and she quickly cleaned up as much as possible.  She hadn't brought any clothes with her unfortunately, so she didn't have anything to change into.  She also didn't know who else was gonna be on this bus, so she decided against changing into one of Tab's shirts...and nothing else.  She ultimately grabbed a pair of his boxers and pulled those on, as well a tee shirt of his, and slipped in the bed and under the covers.   The bed smelled of Tab, of his cologne, and of smoke, and of his unique scent, and she snuggled down deeper, grabbing a pillow and wrapping herself around it.  As worked up as she was, and as hard as she fought, it was only a matter of moments before she fell asleep, lulled by the sounds of the air conditioner blowing through the bus, and the relief that Tab was gonna be back with her soon.

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

_Danielle was dreaming of Tab.  She smiled as she felt his warm lips as they traveled along her ribs, nipping and biting, and then licking and soothing. He drew soft moans and shivers from her as his mouth moved along her skin, and she squirmed restlessly, caught somewhere between wakefulness and slumber. She ran her fingers through his thick, wavy hair, holding him to her…_.

Danielle’s eyes popped open in surprise. 

She wasn’t dreaming. Tab was there, and he was indeed kissing along her bare stomach. He’d pulled her shirt up, and as she fully awoke, she stared down at him in adoration.  He was shirtless, only wearing shorts or boxers – she couldn’t tell – and quite frankly she didn’t care.

“Tab?” She tugged on his hair, drawing those beautiful brown eyes up to hers.  He smiled and kissed her stomach one last time before crawling up her body and nestling himself between her open legs.

“Hey baby.” He kissed her softly, and Danielle wrapped her arms around him for a tight hug. “I like what you did with the place.”

“You’re a mess,” Danielle whispered against his ear as she nipped at his lobe.

“I guess you’re just gonna have to stay with me and clean up my messes, huh?” Tab growled as his hand found her breast; his large palm covered her fully, and Danielle couldn’t contain her own groan. Tab quickly placed a finger at her lips, shushing her. “My bassist and drummer are down the hall, sweetie. Gotta be quiet.”  His teeth glinted in the dim light as he grinned at her.

Embarrassed, Danielle gasped as she sat up in his bed and looked around. Thankfully the door was shut, and the air conditioner blowing did provide some measure of noise, but still…

She pulled her shirt down and scooted up his bed and away from him. Tab crawled up beside her, and pulled her down on his chest.

“I’m sorry, babe,” he murmured against the top of her head. “We can still go somewhere if you want.”

“No. It’s okay,” Danielle mumbled against his chest.  He smelled so good, like warmth, and leather, and manly all rolled up in one. She couldn’t get enough of him, and she nuzzled against him, trying to get closer.  As she ran her hand up and down the center of his chest, she felt his breath quicken at her movements.

“Well you gotta stop doing that if you want me to behave,” Tab murmured against her hair.

“Maybe I don’t want you to behave,” Danielle giggled as she lazily trailed her fingers down the center of his chest again, tracing along the lines of his happy trail. She slowly slid her fingers under the waistband of his boxers, and she felt him tense as her fingertips just barely grazed his erection.  Knowing that Corey and Jeff were down at the other end of the bus both scared the shit out of her and spurred her on.

“Son of a bitch!” Tab hissed as her small hand wrapped around his erection, and slowly began stoking him up and down. 

He moved restlessly against her, bucking his hips ever so slightly as he attempted to get closer to her hand. Danielle giggled slyly as she gripped him tighter, and began stroking him more forcefully. Tab wrapped his hands in her hair, and she could feel his heart pounding beneath her cheek as she struggled to maintain some control . All the while, she felt the wetness pooling between her legs, and she knew this wasn’t going to be enough. She released him, and sat up, ridding herself of her clothes as quick as possible.  Meanwhile, Tab had reached down and pushed his boxers off, and grabbed Danielle about her hips and pulled her to him, helping her straddle his hips as she lowered herself down on top of him.  Both swallowed their groans as Tab filled her fully, and Danielle nearly collapsed on his chest in relief. 

They came together like they’d never argued, like nothing was ever wrong between the two of them…

* * *

An hour later, Danielle was firmly wrapped up in Tab’s arms, with a contented smile on both their faces.  They would talk long into the early morning, and this time Danielle found herself opening up more and more to Tab…probably more than she’d ever opened up to any man.  When they finally ran out of things to say, and she could hear Tab snoring softly against her neck, she closed her eyes with a smile on her face.

It had been the right thing to come here, to try to make amends with him.  Even though they’d not discussed the ex’s – Bethany or Matt – she felt good about where they were headed in their relationship, and she felt like tomorrow they could talk about the heavier things.  She knew she had to come clean about Matt, and she also knew she needed to get the full story on Bethany. That way she and Tab both knew where they stood with each other. She knew whatever decision she made with her father’s company would also affect Tab, so that was another thing for them to discuss.  All of this stuff needed to be worked through so they could figure out the next step…if there was a next step. For her part, Danielle most certainly wanted a next step with Tab, and she could only hope he did as well. With her smile still in place, she snuggled down deeper in his arms and closed her eyes.

All that heavy stuff could wait for tomorrow….


	15. Chapter 15

Danielle followed Tab down the dimly lit corridor until they reached the door leading to the stage, and when they stopped, he turned to her.

“You can hang out back here, or go out there if you want,” he released her hand and ran it through his hair, causing it to stick up everywhere.  He was fidgety, and seemed to be wound tight.  Danielle looked at him curiously.

“Are you nervous?”  She reached out and smoothed the front of his shirt with a smile.

“A little,” he chuckled as he met her eyes, only to avert his gaze again and look back down at their joined hands.

“Why?”

“Cause you’re here,” Tab chuckled again, almost sheepishly.  Danielle leaned up and kissed him on his chin before pulling him down for a real kiss. While she gripped the back of his neck, Tab rested his large hands at her hips and held her to him.  Danielle sucked on his lower lip, releasing it with a pop as she nuzzled his nose with hers.

“I love how you sing, and I love how you play, so just pretend I’m not here.”   She stared into his eyes, willing him to believe her, but she couldn't hide the impish giggle that escaped.  He was so cute when he was shy and uncertain!

With a grunt, Tab pulled her to him, and she could feel the hardness at the front of his loose jeans.

“Pretend you're not here?  Yeah right,” he groaned as he buried his face against her neck, and try as she might, Danielle couldn’t contain her giggle at his… _situation._

“Save that for later, okay?” She reached down and grabbed his butt playfully before stepping back and gently pushing on his chest. “Now go, they’re waiting for you.”

She watched with an adoring smile as Tab made his way up the steps and onto the stage.  He was greeted with cheers and applause from the crowd, and Danielle couldn’t help but smile to herself as she peeked around the corner of the door to watch. He certainly knew how to engage the crowd, and before long, he was rocking the building with _“Fever for the Bayou.”_    Feeling more content than she had in a long time, she scooted back into the shadows off the side of the stage and watched the rest of the show.

* * *

 

Tab was singing his final song, and Danielle quickly made her way back out to his bus before the crowds started swarming.  She knew Tab was coming soon, but she also knew that his fans would be coming as well, and she wanted to be out of sight before they all came, saw them,  and put two and two together.  She headed to the far side of the bus, the side up against the fence and mostly hidden in shadows, and waited.  From here, she was out of sight, but could still see him when he finally appeared.  A few minutes later, she heard the noisy voices as Tab made his way through the door and headed towards the bus, and he was already flanked by people Danielle didn’t know; she could only assume they were fans.  She scooted back further in the shadows so as not to be seen. He knew she was over here, and she knew he’d get to her just as soon as he could; she’d just have to be patient.

“You must be Danielle, huh?” A voice that could only be called sultry came out of the shadows, and Danielle turned to find the source. _Who could possibly know her name here in Atlanta??_  

Her eyes traveled up the long, lithe body of the woman before her, Danielle’s heart dropped in her stomach when she realized who that voice belonged to.  It was Tab’s ex-wife, Bethany, and she was standing right in front of Danielle, looking more beautiful that Danielle could have ever imagined her to be. Her hair was a little lighter - more auburn -  than in the pictures, and fell about her shoulders in loose waves.  Those beautiful green eyes of hers were heavily rimmed with smoky shadow, only accentuating full lips and beautiful, high cheek-bones. Her shoulders were bare, only covered by what looked like a shawl over her thin, very-expensive looking tank top.  She had on tight, black jeans, sky high heels that emphasized the length and thinness of her legs,  and Danielle was certain that this woman had to have just stepped out of a magazine...she was that damn beautiful.  Danielle pushed at her wayward mass of curly hair, cursing herself for not attempting to look at least a little more presentable this evening. Her casual jeans, tee shirt, and flip-flops were almost laughable when compared to Bethany. 

Danielle had never felt so insecure in her life as she did standing next to this supermodel of a woman.

The woman smiled at her, and Danielle blanched even further. Those lush, full lips revealed a set of perfectly white teeth.   Bethany got even more beautiful when she smiled;  _how was that possible?_

“Danielle?” Bethany laughed as she held her hand out. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Finally finding her voice, Danielle placed her sweaty palm in Bethany’s cool grasp.

“Yeah…uhm…yes, that’s my name.”

“So nice to meet you! I’ve heard... so much about you,” Bethany winked as she smiled - _no smirked_ \- at Danielle as she sipped on whatever it was she was drinking. 

Danielle’s mind was racing, first, wondering _what_ Tab had told this woman about them, and secondly, wondering _why_ Tab had told this woman anything about them!  And why was she here, of all places?? What in the actual fuck??

“So are you visiting Tab here in Atlanta, or do you live here?” Bethany continued in that voice that was quickly beginning to grate on Danielle’s nerves.

She couldn’t tell if Bethany was really being nice, or if she was pretending, and it was aggravating the fuck out of her.  Honestly, she felt like Tab’s ex-wife was taunting her, all under the guise of kindness, and she had no idea how to respond.  What she wanted to do was question this woman, _to find out what she was doing here_ , but she couldn’t get the words to form. Fortunately, a crowd came by at just that moment, and somewhere in that throng of people was Tab.  She could hear his voice as he made his way over to his bus.  Danielle sighed in relief and aggravation; she was happy to see him but pissed at the same time.

Why the fuck was his ex-wife here at his show, and again, why had he been talking to her about them?

“Danielle?” That sickeningly sweet voice jerked her back into the present.

“Yes?” Danielle forced a smile as she turned her attention back to the supermodel before her. “I’m going to go see Tab.  I asked if you wanted to come with, or if I should go alone.” Bethany smiled that infuriating smile again, and now Danielle felt as if she were surely being patronized by this woman.

“I mean, I don’t want you to be offended by my presence,” Bethany continued. 

Danielle nearly snorted – as if this bitch really cared!  - and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks as it usually did when she got angry.  Yes, she was most definitely being patronized by this woman, and now she was most definitely pissed off.

“No. We can go together. I’m sure it’ll be…interesting,” Danielle stated calmly. 

From somewhere, she’d finally picked up her balls, and decided that two could play Bethany's game. She would damned if she let this obnoxious bitch intimidate her any further. Bethany stared at her for just a moment, unblinking as her cool, emerald eyes met Danielle’s flashing, brown eyes, and the woman squared off for a few tense moments, each daring the other to jump. Finally Bethany broke the tension with another blinding smile.

“Well, let’s go then. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to see that we’re getting on so well.”

“Absolutely,” Danielle coolly replied. 

The two women made their way over to Tab, with Bethany leading the way and Danielle dragging her feet behind. Now that they were actually doing it, the thought of going to Tab with his ex-wife was daunting at best. When they were finally standing in front of him, Bethany wasted no time in throwing her arms around him and giving him a very enthusiastic hug.  Danielle glared at the pair from her spot, and she did her damnedest to not break down in tears of frustration.  She wasn’t even sure if Tab saw her yet, as he’d made no indication that he did. There were so many people surrounding him, and as small as she was, it was easy to get lost in the crowd.  Finally, Bethany untangled herself from him, and with an arm still looped under his arm, turned and faced Danielle, that beautiful, infuriatingly fake smile in place once again. 

Tab had a different reaction altogether.

Danielle saw it on his face – he’d not known she was there, and he looked like the ground had just fallen out from beneath his feet as recognition hit him.

 

“Dani? What’s…what’s going on, sweetie?” He was stuttering as he removed himself from Bethany’s arm and moved in Danielle's direction.  Danielle backed away, her arms wrapped around her body indicating she did not want to be touched at the moment.

“I don’t know, Tab. You tell me.” Her tone was icy, biting in her suspicion. Tab just barely glanced over his shoulder at Bethany before looking back at Danielle.

“I swear to God I didn’t know she was gonna be here, Dani.” He stepped closer to her and hesitantly touched her tense arm. “I promise, sweetheart.  I didn’t know.”

Danielle chewed on the inside of her cheek as she struggled not to cry.  Her insecurities were taking over, she could feel it as she stared over Tab’s shoulder at Bethany.  The woman was laughing with Tab’s manager and bassist, and had clearly gotten the two men wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger.  Or had they always been close like that?  How in the hell could she compete with a woman like Bethany?  Even now, she watched as Bethany sidled up to Jeffery, laughing as he hugged her to his side.  Bethany fit in perfectly with them – _with Tab_ – unlike herself, and Danielle knew she didn’t belong here, not with all her insecurities and everything else that was wrong with her.

“I think I need to leave, Tab,” Danielle whispered.  She turned to look back at Tab, and she nearly started crying in earnest when she saw the look on his face. His shoulders had dropped in defeat, and his brows were screwed up in confusion as he tried to figure out what to do.  

“Please don’t do this.  Not like this, Dani.” He moved closer, and pulled one of her hands from her. He gripped it tightly, lacing his fingers with hers, as he pleaded with her. “It’s not what you think. I had no idea she was comin’, and if I did, I sure as hell would have told her not to.”

Danielle gave him a tremulous smile as she pulled her hand from his and safely tucked it back under her arm.

“It’s okay, Tab.” She shrugged, doing her best to show how little she cared that his ex-wife was here. _What a fucking lie that was!_    “We’re not a couple or anything, so it’s no biggie.  Besides, I need to get back to Houma and take care of my business.”

“Dani!” Tab stepped closer to her as he spoke, nearly standing over her as he begged her not to leave. “Please don’t leave like this, baby.”

“Tab! Can you and Dani come over here?”  Bethany called to the pair. 

_That fucking voice again!_   Danielle closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening them back up and looking up to Tab.  Her anger was barely controlled, just brimming below the surface, as she heard her nickname roll off Bethany’s lips.

“She called me Dani. What the fuck did you tell her?” Danielle hissed.  She was so pissed off, and she couldn’t control the hot, angry tears that started to roll down her cheeks.

“I told her about us, Dani. About how much I like you, and that I was…” Tab ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he admitted what he'd done. “Look, yes, we’ve stayed in contact, since she owns part of one of the businesses, but that’s it, Dani.  Other than how much I care about you, I ain’t told her a damn thing.”

Danielle gritted her teeth together, and her jaw started aching with tension. This was not how she planned for this to go, not even remotely. _Seriously, what was she supposed to do?_   She had so many mixed emotions about Tab already, and now she was faced with not only that, but his gorgeous ex-wife as well?  There was no way she could be here tonight, with her, and with Tab.  It just wasn’t gonna happen.

“Look,” she began resolutely, “I think I’m just gonna go.  My flight leaves tomorrow anyway, and you should probably go do your thing. We’ll just talk when you get back, okay?”  She couldn’t meet his eyes, and her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for his response. He’d surely see through her lies, and see just how much this whole thing had hurt her, and she wasn’t even quite ready to be that vulnerable with him. Not after this, because now she knew she couldn’t trust him.

“Well, I don’t know what you want me to say. I didn’t ask her to come, and I didn’t know she was gonna be here.” Tab’s voice had changed, was thick in his anger, and he’d moved closer as he spoke. Danielle looked up at him, and she could see he was not just angry, but downright furious.  His own jaw was flexing as he struggled to remain calm, and his eyes had darkened in his annoyance and frustration.

“Well, she is,” Danielle shrugged helplessly. “And I can’t be, so I’m gonna go.” She pulled her purse tighter about her shoulder and looked around for an exit.

“You know I’m gonna be gone for another two months at least, right?” Tab grabbed her elbow, holding her in place.

“Well it’s a good thing we got this all settled now, right?” Danielle jerked her arm from his grasp.  She knew she was overreacting, but she couldn’t stop. For whatever reason, she couldn’t stop, and that was pissing her off even more. She felt so damn out of control!

“This is some bullshit!” Tab’s voice was getting louder by the minute, drawing some curious glances from fans that were waiting nearby.

“I agree,” Danielle retorted.  She started to walk away again, but this time Tab grabbed her by the hand and dragged her back around to the far side of the bus so that they were hidden in the shadows. 

“You’re making a big ass deal out of nothin’, you know that right?” He planted his hands on his hips as he stared back at her. “I had no idea she was comin’.”

“Why would you talk to her about us?” Danielle whispered brokenly.  She wrapped her arms around herself and stared off in the distance, watching as the cars zoomed by on the highway. She was about to leave this place – _leave Tab_ \- and go back home to nothing.  Nothing.  No one was waiting for her there except that dog, and even Blue didn’t like her so much.  She felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness, almost as if a black, dismal wave was threatening to take her under and swallow her whole.  She felt more alone now than ever before, and to top it off, now she felt completely betrayed by Tab. She’d not realized how much she had started caring about him until it came to something like this, to him blatantly breaking her trust.

“Hey…uh…Tab?” Tab’s manager called as he hesitantly peered around the bus.

“Gimme a fuckin’ minute, John!” Tab barked over his shoulder without looking at the man. Taking the hint, John disappeared back around the front of the bus, leaving Tab and Danielle alone again.

“You know, I’m 47 years old, Dani.  Way too old for this shit, okay? But I wanna make this work because I care about you,” Tab began, his voice much gentler as he moved closer. “I had no idea she was comin’, cause I surely would have told her not to. You gotta believe me, Dani.” Tab reached out and placed a hand on Danielle’s shoulder as he looked down at her. 

Danielle wiped at her face, brushing away the tears that were already rolling down her cheeks. She was so embarrassed, and so angry, and she was so ashamed of her behavior. She knew as much as she wanted to stay with Tab, there was no way she could do it with that woman out there. At least for now, she needed to get some space, away from Tab, and away from his ex-wife.

“Look, I’m just gonna go, okay?” She peeked up at him from under lashes wet with tears. “I think it’s better that way. I’ve already ruined everything, so I think it’s best if I just go.” She stared at him as long as she could before she had to look away. 

He was beyond furious. 

She could see it in the set of his jaw and the tautness of his lips. He dropped his hand, and without a word, walked back around the front of the bus, leaving her alone in the shadows. She let out the breath she’d been holding and choked back the tears that had sprung anew.  Her whole body was trembling with a mixture of anxiety, sadness, and anger, and she felt nauseous.   She’d not expected him to just leave like that!  She didn’t know what she had expected, but for him to just walk away like that was not how she envisioned it all playing out.  She had to leave this place before she got sick at her stomach.

She was blindly digging through her purse, looking for her keys, when she felt eyes on her.  She looked up, and sure enough, it was that bitch ex-wife of his. She was leaned up against the front edge of the bus, arms crossed triumphantly over her slim body. She was smiling at Danielle, but there was no warmth in that smile; just the cold humor of someone who’d gotten exactly what she wanted at another persons’ expense.

“It was nice to meet you…Dani,” Bethany purred before she, too, disappeared back around the bus, leaving Danielle alone again.

Choking back sobs, Danielle stumbled along the side of the bus and made her way out past the back end. Thankfully it was deserted there, and she didn’t turn to see if Tab was still up at the front. She ran alongside the building as fast as she could and made it to her rental car and climbed in. She took a few moments to calm herself down before jamming the keys in the ignition and heading back to the hotel she’d reserved but not yet used.

* * *

 

A few hours later, she was sitting at the airport, waiting to catch her flight back home to Louisiana.  She’d turned her phone off, even though a tiny part of her was hoping that Tab would try to contact her. Curiousity getting the better of her, she switched it back on,  and was immediately dismayed to see that he’d not tried to reach her at all.

No phone calls.  Not even a text.

She shut it down again with a sigh and heavy heart. What did she expect, really? They’d known each other for all of about five minutes, and she’d already freaked out multiple times over his ex. He’d said it – he was too old for that kind of shit, and she couldn’t blame him.  _Hell, she was too old for that kind of behavior her damn self!_    With a sigh, she settled back into her seat and waited for the call to board.  As soon as she got back home, she was going to get to work settling the business.   Selling it would probably be the best thing. It would take it off her hands, and would allow her the freedom to leave Houma for good. With both her parents gone, and now this thing with Tab, leaving Louisiana for good was sounding more and more like the best course of action.


	16. Chapter 16

Danielle finally pulled into Tab’s driveway, but she sat in silence in her truck.  It was raining, and the dreary grey, mist matched her mood perfectly. She’d not heard from Tab since she left him the other day, and she assumed that she wouldn’t hear from him anytime soon. She knew she overreacted, and she probably could have allowed Tab to fix things, but that’s not how it played out, and now she was stuck with a heavy sense of regret that was still firmly nestled deep inside her. 

Today, she was going to get whatever she may have left at Tab’s house, along with Blue, and all his things. Her fence had been installed finally, so once she was done here, she could get the dog and be done with it. Michelle had been watching Blue while Danielle was away, and she was headed over to now just in case Danielle had issues with Matt. Matt knew Danielle had been with Tab, and he was none too pleased about it. He’d sent a few very angry texts and voice mails to her phone, and it would be a lie to say she wasn’t a little freaked out at his behavior. Matt always did have a temper…

As she waited, she looked down at her phone again. It had been 3 days since that night with Tab and Bethany in Atlanta. She’d called and texted multiple times, and he’d still not responded. Did she really think he would? With a grimace, Danielle looked away from her phone; she could only assume he was too busy with Bethany. It was obvious he was done with her, and she sighed to herself as she dropped her head back against the headrest. 

Another failed relationship, but pretty much par for the course where she was concerned.  _Just look at what a colossal fuck-up Matt was._

A horn honking drew her out of her musings, and she looked up in relief as she saw Michelle pull in next to her.

“Hey,” Danielle greet Michelle as both women hopped out of their trucks.

“Hey, girly,” Michelle walked over and gave her friend a much needed hug. “How are things?” Michelle searched her friend’s face with concern.

Danielle just shrugged as she moved out of her friend’s embrace and headed to the front door.  “Shitty, but what else is new?”

She turned the key, and felt herself choke up a little as she surveyed his house.  Memories of their time together flooded her brain, bringing up all sorts of emotions that she wasn't prepared yet to deal with.

She walked into the kitchen, smiling sadly to herself when she remembered how she’d felt so uncomfortable in front of him as she’d cooked that big ass gar.  And later, the argument that led to their love-making.   She looked over at the couch that they'd made love on the first time, and she felt herself blushing at the images that flashed in front of her eyes.

As she stared out the window to the back porch, she had to swallow back the tears that were threatening to fall. So many memories, and in such a short time, but now it was all over.  She had not realized how just fond she’d grown of Tab in the small amount of time they were together until just now, and it hit her like a ton of bricks.   She felt like she was coming home, and then in the same breath as if she were trespassing.

_What was she to Tab?_

_What was he to her?_

Obviously nothing if it could all be so easily undone. With an inward sigh, she straightened herself, realizing there was no point in dwelling on that stuff any longer.

“Let me just get my stuff, and then we’ll get Blue, okay?” Danielle mumbled as she walked through the house picking up things. There wasn’t much there, only a few articles of clothing and whatnot, and she was sad that there wasn’t more to keep her here longer. Once she left, that would be it.

“So you and Benoit, huh?” Michelle asked with a small smile as she walked around Tab’s kitchen, surveying it.  There wasn't much to see;  the man's house was a true bachelor pad, through and through.

“No. Not me and Benoit,” Danielle muttered as she dropped her things on the counter-top.

“Well, it was for a minute.”

“Yeah, a minute. Literally.” She was not in the mood for Michelle’s interrogation, but it fell on deaf ears.

“I thought you hated him?” Michelle continued her line of questioning, much to Danielle’s annoyance.

“I never hated him, I just…” Danielle shrugged again as she pulled out a stool and plopped down on it. “I don’t know what I feel for him. Or felt for him. Or whatever.” Danielle dropped her head on her folded arms.

“Well you always had a crush on him, that was for sure.” Michelle sat down opposite Danielle. “Everyone knew that.”

“And?” Danielle mumbled against her arm.

“Why do I have to drag this out of you, Dani?” Michelle laughed as she reached across the island and playfully popped Danielle on the back of her curly head. “What happened??”

Danielle conceded, knowing there was no escape.  For the next few moments, she recounted the whole story of how her and Tab got together - _minus a few details_ \- and ended with the story of Bethany.  She needed to get it off her chest, to tell someone, and she actually felt a little bit better about it all.  When she was finished, Michelle stared back at her in disbelief.

“ _You_ actually flew to Atlanta to go apologize to _him_?”

“Yeah, so?” Danielle shrugged nonchalantly.

“Like, that’s seriously a big deal, Dani. You know it.”

Danielle pretended to ignore her friend, and picked at her fingernails as she did so.

“Dani? Seriously,” Michelle continued her badgering. “It had to be serious between the two of you for you to do that.”

“Don’t read into it, Michelle.” Danielle nodded towards the hall. “He still has pictures of that bitch ex-wife of his up, so he wasn’t as serious as I was.” Danielle looked at her friend sharply as she continued, “Not that I was that serious, or anything, of course!”

 _"Of course,"_ Michelle mocked her, and with a look that said she wasn’t buying it, slid off her stool and walked towards the hall, hands on hips. “Show me the bitch.”

“She’s the beautiful supermodel in the picture with Tab,” Danielle grumbled from her seat. The last thing she wanted to do was see that bitch’s face again.

“I don’t see any pictures of Tab with anyone. I see his mom, but that’s it…”

With her eyes narrowed, Danielle also slid off her stool and met Michelle in the hall and stood before the pictures on the wall.  Sure enough, the spot where Tab and Bethany’s picture was before was empty, the removed picture leaving a huge hole in the midst of all the others. The nail was still there, so she knew that the picture had hung here before.

“It was right here,” Danielle whispered to herself as she stared at the spot. “It was here the last night we spent together.”

“Well it ain’t here no more!” Michelle replied with a giggle. “He must have taken it down before he left.”

“And then I went to Atlanta and acted like a jealous asshole,” Danielle moaned as she walked back over to the island and slumped down against the counter top.

“So?” Michelle sat back down in her spot. “If you like him, and he likes you, then who cares?”

“But I don’t know if he likes me like I like him!” _God but that sounded like a high school crush, didn’t it?_

“Well, I dunno, maybe you should ask him, Danielle,” Michelle laughed again. “You’re old enough to know what you want.” Her voice took on a different tone, more somber now. “Besides, you need to be done with Matt. He’s no good for you, Dani.”

That sobered Danielle up right quick. Matt had been calling her non-stop, and it was scaring her, if she were to be honest.  She lifted her head and stared at Michelle.

“I know. He called me last night, and left a horrible voicemail.” She began nibbling on her fingernail, her anxiety rising as she thought about Matt and wondered where he might be. _Or what he might be up to..._

“Does Tab know about him?” Michelle asked.

“No,” Danielle shook her head. “I know I should have told him, but Tab and Matt hate each other. Always have.”

“I’m liking Benoit more and more by the minute,” Michelle smirked. “Matt is an asshole. Maybe Tab could come and-”

“Don’t even say that. Matt and Tab do not need to get in a fight!” Danielle pushed off the stool and went to open the back door.

Blue ran inside like the maniac he was, and ran around the living room excitedly, knocking over a chair in his wake along with some papers on the coffee table.  As Danielle knelt down to pick them up, her eyes were drawn to some loose-leaf notebook paper. There were scribbles on it, and when Danielle saw her name amongst the words, curiousity got the better of her and she picked up the sheet of paper. It was a letter – note really – from Tab to her. She quietly walked over to the couch and sat down to read it.

“What is that?” Michelle asked as she peered over Danielle’s shoulder. Danielle shushed her with a wave of her hand and continued reading. 

~~_Dani_ ~~

~~_Dear Dani_ ~~

~~_Dear Danielle,_ ~~

He had scribbled out and drawn through her name multiple times, but finally settled on _Dear Dani,_ and she smiled to herself at his use of her nickname.  

_Dear Dani,_

_I know you’re pissed at me about the picture, and I don’t blame you. We both kinda pretended that it was no big deal, but I’m not as dumb as I look. I know it bothered you, so I took it down as soon as you left. I wish you would have hung around a bit longer, and talked to me, but I understand why you didn’t._

_Look, I don’t wanna be weird and say some stupid shit, but I just want you to know that I care about you.  I don’t know what that means, and I don’t know what I can do about it, but I just wanted you to know. I never really hated you, and yes, I always had a crush on you, but you were way outta my league. Probably still out of my league.  I’m old, I travel too much, I probably drink too much, and we don’t see eye to eye on the oil stuff.  I wish I were different, and maybe you were different, but I know that isn’t possible. Really that’s a lie, cause I like you just the way you are. I really, really like you, and I just wanted you to know that._

_I sure hope you come see me on the road. I hope we can figure all this stuff out and we can try to go forward, even if it’s just as friends._

_Take care,_

_TB_

“Well that settles it, don’t it?” Michelle asked with a smug smile. Danielle looked up at her, eyes as big as saucers.

“Settles what?”

“Benoit’s got it just as bad for you as you got it for him, sha!” Michelle continued grinning as she rubbed Blue’s head. “Now it’s just a matter of fixing things with him.”

Danielle looked back down at the letter in her trembling hands, and disbelief washed anew over her. Was it possible that he _really_ felt this way about her? And if so, did he still feel this way? She’d gone to Atlanta and fucked it all up, not knowing about this letter or him removing the picture. God, she had been so stupid and so damn hot-headed!!

 When would she ever learn??


	17. Chapter 17

The next few months were filled with meeting after meeting, all in an effort to determine how best to proceed with her father's business.  Danielle was dismayed to find Matt at every single one of them, and he was anything but polite.  He was still very aggravated with her, and she did her best to avoid him at all costs.  She'd been successful thus far, and as soon as this deal was done, she was hoping to be rid of him for good.  Without the company,  there was no reason for them to ever speak again. 

It was towards the end of November, and after meeting with the board members for the third time in a week,  that she had decided that she was going to turn the entire company over to Mr. Robert.  They had determined that they were losing too much money, and with the current state of the oil businesses, more people than not were laid off.  Robert was a good man, and she trusted him to ensure that all workers received fair severance pay.  They would liquidate all the assets, pay all the workers what they were due, and be done with it.   Once it was settled, she would never have to deal with the business side again.  Part of her felt extremely guilty letting her father’s company go, but her heart wasn’t in it.   She'd finally gone and made peace with her father, had visited his grave site, and she was certain he wouldn't think badly of her for making this decision.  Her daddy loved her, no matter what, and he would have supported her, had he still been alive.  That she was sure of.  

“So you’re just gonna sell it off like that, then?” Matt’s voice, sneering at her from the end of the table, caused the hair on the back of her neck to raise, and goosebumps covered her arms. Something about the way he said those words had her alarm bells ringing.

“What’s done is done, Matt.” Danielle gathered her things, and moved to exit the room, but Matt was there, holding the door closed with a hand firmly planted at the top.  _How the fuck had she ended up in here, alone with him!!_

“Let me out,” Danielle lifted her chin in a show of confidence, but inside she was shaking something fierce.  Matt had hit her before, so she knew what his fists felt like, and right now he looked like he wanted to murder her.   He was furious – _she could feel it emanating off him_ \- and she just wanted to get away from him.

“You're making a big mistake, Danielle.  You know damn good and well that I should be running that company. I was next in line, after your father,” he spat at her. “You never wanted the company, and you did nothing for it.  Stupid little bitch.”

“Regardless, it’s done. Let me out.” Her voice was getting smaller by the moment, and she stared a hole in the door, willing it to open.  She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, competing with the heavy, angry breathing of Matt next to her. His breath was sickly sweet, and smelled of alcohol.  _Had he been drinking??_  

The door pushed back against Matt’s hand, as someone from outside tried to come in, and Danielle had to stifle her yelp of relief when one of the secretaries stumbled in.

“Oh! Miss Bourgeois! Mr. Chauvin! I’m so sorry!” The young woman clutched her files to her chest as she stared between Matt and Danielle, completely oblivious to the crisis she'd just averted.   

Without a word, Danielle slipped out and hurried down the hall.  As fast as she could, she made her way to her truck and headed home to get Blue, but then she was going to Tab’s.  He still wasn’t home, but she didn’t feel safe going to her father’s. 

Not with the way Matt was acting.

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Later that evening...**

Danielle placed the last ornament on the small Christmas tree before stepping back to admire her work.  She cocked her head to the side and eyed her handiwork critically.  Beside her, Blue whined pathetically as he looked up at her.

“Hush, boy!” She gently scratched the dog behind his ears.

They’d formed a truce over the past few months, and now she couldn’t imagine her life without the crazy coonhound by her side. He followed behind her as she walked into the kitchen and looked around for something else to do. 

There wasn’t much left.

She knew Tab would be gone for the holidays, so she wanted to decorate his house for him.  Give him a little Christmas, even if it was only temporary.  He was due back any moment - _tonight she hoped_ -  and she was going to surprise him with a cleaned and decorated house.  He just didn’t know it yet, and she hoped he wouldn’t be _too_ mad at her. 

Besides, it was only a tiny little tree on his coffee table, nothing fancy!

They’d talked sporadically while he’d been gone, but they’d not really discussed the deal with Bethany, and she’d still not told him about Matt.  She didn't want to discuss these things over the phone, or text message, and make things worse.  Better to play it safe until they could see each other and talk about it.   

She was happy that he was even talking to her. Period.

He finally texted her back at about the middle of the first month of his tour, and from there, they sent random texts, although it was she much more than him.  They were all very generic, and not personal in the least, but it was better than nothing, right?  She clung to those texts, reading them over and over and hoping to deduce something from them on the second or third read, something that maybe she had missed before.  She really just hoped he would forgive her, and maybe give her a chance. 

A sound at the door startled her, and she turned, expecting to see Tab, but her nervous smile faded as she watched the door open up and the man step inside. Her heart stopped beating and she felt the air leave her lungs when she realized she was starting at Matt’s face.

Matt’s very red, very furious face.

_How did he get in?  Where had he gotten a key?_

Aware of the danger, Blue started barking, and she tried to run, but it was no use.  Matt caught her in no time, and with a hand in her hair, he slammed her into the coffee table, knocking down the small Christmas tree that she had just set up on top of it.  Ornaments scattered everywhere, and Danielle felt the pricks of the glass against her palms as she tried to crawl away from him.  Matt grabbed her again, dragging her by her hair over to the door.   She could feel the skin below her shorts ripping at her knees as he dragged her across the floor.

“Get up!” He snarled as he jerked her up, one gloved-hand still tangled in her hair, while the other bruised her upper arm.  She clawed at him, desperately trying to escape, but it was no use.  He was simply too big for her and she couldn't fight him off. 

Blue lunged for him, and he yelped in pain as Matt kicked the dog in the head.

“Open your mouth!” Matt roughly grabbed Danielle by the jaw, his fingers bruising her chin as he forced her mouth open.  She choked, her eyes watering, as she felt the liquid enter her mouth, and she did her best to spit it out, but Matt just poured more in.

“Drink it!” He tilted her head back with a jerk on her hair, and try as she might, Danielle couldn’t help but swallow the liquid. It was beer, she could taste that, but somewhere deep inside she knew it was something else also. Matt dragged her back over to the couch and threw her down, and Danielle felt waves of nausea wash over her body. She sat numbly, shivering as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Matt…please let me go,” she whispered, knowing it was futile.

He didn’t speak to her as he moved away from the couch.  She was too afraid to look up at him, to see what he was doing, and instead stared down at her hands in her lap as she waited for whatever came next.   She flinched when she heard Blue yelp again, and the tears started falling as she realized there was nothing she could do – for her or for Blue.  Whatever he’d made her drink – whether it was her imagination or not – she could already feel the effects starting to take hold.  Everything was becoming sluggish, as if time were slowing down.  She stared down at her hands, bloody from the broken Christmas ornaments, and wiped them on her shorts. Her knees were bloody as well, and her stomach turned even more as she stared at pieces of glass still stuck to her skin.  She couldn’t even focus enough to pull them out, as her eyes were crossing and things were getting progressively more blurry.

The last thing she remembered was the sound of Blue barking, and then it was a dark silence that engulfed her….

* * *

 Tab stared at the mess that was his house.  There was a small Christmas tree – _a Christmas tree_ – in his living room, laying on the ground, but it was smashed, the ornaments broken and littering the floor around his couch and coffee table.  Various other items were strewn about, busted and laying in shambles, but the funny thing was the door wasn’t busted. It had been locked as usual when he arrived home, and other than the mess inside, nothing was out of place. Maybe a raccoon or something had somehow gotten in…

“What the fuck?” he mumbled to himself as he walked around his house, surveying damage.  He knew he should probably call the cops, but honestly he wasn’t in the mood to deal with them right now. He had been on the road for over 3 months, and he hadn’t slept for the last two days.

Fuck it.

Unable to help himself, he picked up his cell phone and dialed Dani’s number, just to check on her. Blue was gone, along with all his things,  so he’d assumed that she had come to get the dog and the rest of her things.

After two rings it went straight to voicemail.

He half a mind to drive his ass over to her house, to see if she knew what was going on with the damn mess in his living room, but he reluctantly decided against it. They still hadn’t worked out all their issues, although he was ready to beg her to take him back.  He’d quickly figured out after not seeing her for the past few months that he couldn’t go without her; he missed her too damn much. He could hardly keep himself from calling her.  Hell, at one point he’d wanted to quit the damn tour and go back home, to crawl on his knees and beg her to take him back.

Fuck!

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of beer and shotgunned it, anything to settle his nerves.  He was feeling some kinda way, something was making him uneasy, but he couldn't put his finger on it, and attributed it to being tired as fuck.  He walked through the house, ensuring he was alone, and when he was satisfied, headed back into his kitchen.  Tossing the empty bottle in the trash, he grabbed another, along with a bottle of Jack, and headed over to his couch. He pushed aside some of the mess with his boot and sat down. He contemplated calling Dani again, but he didn’t want to pester her. 

She knew he was coming back tonight, or at least in the next day or so.  They’d discussed it, had even made plans to get together to “talk”, but now she was back to not answering his phone calls.  For the life of him, he couldn’t figure that woman out.  He knew he should have talked more while he was gone, engaged her more, but he didn't want to talk about his feelings on the phone, and she'd never given him any indication that she felt any kind of way towards him.  Hell, she'd been even less talkative than he was!

He opened the Jack and took a big swig, straight from the bottle, wincing as the liquid traveled down his raw throat. 3 straight months of singing, drinking, and smoking had taken its’ toll on him. He grabbed the remote from off the floor and turned the television on.  He gave up on bothering Dani, and kicked his boots off and reclined back on the couch, nursing the bottle of Jack as he flipped through the channels, and eventually dozed off.

 


	19. Chapter 19

_Help._

Tab stared at the phone for a few moments, blinking rapidly to get his blurry eyes to adjust to the dim light in the living room. 

One word from Dani.

_Help._

He quickly dialed her number, but the phone went straight to voicemail.  He sat up from where he’d been laying on the couch, wondering what the fuck was going on. He dialed her again as he ran his fingers over his temples in an attempt to ease the ache there.  He had to stop fucking drinking so much! His stomach turned and his head started spinning as the phone rang.

This time she answered.

“Tab?” Dani’s voice was breathy, and a little high-pitched.

“Uh, yeah. I just got your text. What do ya mean, help?” Tab ran a hand through his hair and yawned loudly.  Danielle didn’t immediately answer. “Dani?”

“It was nothing.” Now her voice was hard, controlled even, and Tab’s brows drew together in confusion.

“What the fuck is goin’ on?”

“Leave me alone, Tab,” Danielle gritted out.

“Wha-” He was fully awake now.

“Listen to me carefully. I never want to see you again. We’re done, whatever we had is over. Do you understand me?” Danielle’s voice remained hard, but there was something there that Tab couldn’t put his finger on. It stung like a bitch the way she was dismissing him, but he felt like he was missing something.  It almost sounded forced, rehearsed even…

“Dani, look… I don’t know what’s going on, but-“

“I never, ever, want to see you again, do you understand?”

“Yeah I heard you the first fuckin time!” Tab barked, frustrated, and angry now at her words. “Why the fuck did you text me then? Was it you that put this damn tree up? I got broken glass and shit all over my house.”

“I never want to see you again, do you hear me?” Danielle repeated, but this time he heard her voice hitch just barely.

_Something was wrong._

Tab pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it, hoping to discern something from this weird-ass conversation.  He knew he was still pretty wasted, but he was coherent enough to know that Dani wasn’t making a damn bit of sense!

“Dani, look,’ Tab began again, but he was talking to no one. The dial-tone came over the line, indicating that Dani had hung up on him.  He sat up, ram-rod straight on the couch, his body tense and full of unease. 

Something didn’t add up; the tree, the mess in his house, the way Dani was behaving.  He’d assumed it was just a break-in, but nothing was missing.  Not a damn thing.

Now, he was beginning to worry that something else was going on. 

He stood up, and stepped back into his boots.  He was going to Dani's house to see what the fuck was going on.  He walked over to his gun safe and pulled out his twelve gauge shotgun and some shells.

_You could never be too prepared._


	20. Chapter 20

Tab slowly walked up to the darkened porch, taking care not to cause any unnecessary noise.  He’d parked his truck down the road a way, just to be safe; something wasn’t right about the way Dani was behaving, and he needed to figure out what was going on before he just busted up in her driveway.  Regardless of whether she was pissed at him, or whatever the case may be, she sounded awfully strange on the phone and he needed to at least make sure she was okay.  Not to mention that last text message she sent right before he’d called her. None of it made sense…

As he neared the porch, a soft whine drew his attention, and he halted at the base of the steps. 

Blue peeked his head out from under the porch steps, and Tab was again confused. As long as he had known this dog, he’d never seen a timid bone in his body, and now the dog was behaving as if he were scared to come out. Tab went back down the steps and knelt on the ground.

“Come on, boy,” he coaxed the dog gently.

Blue limped out from under the porch, dragging his hind leg behind him, and Tab could see he was tied up with a rope that was barely long enough for him to come out from under the porch. The coonhound gingerly licked Tab’s hand, and whined softly in his throat as he attempted to get closer Tab’s legs. Clenching his jaw in anger, Tab quickly untied the dog, freeing him from his too-short constraint.  As the dog came out from the shadows, Tab could see that his rear right leg looked to be broken, or badly injured, as Blue wouldn’t put any weight on it, and was quite literally dragging it along behind him.  That damn tail of his still wagged, and Tab couldn’t help but smile at the dog's spirit.

“What happened to you, boy?” Tab rubbed the dog’s head as he pressed his muzzle into the crook of his arm.

Tab looked around, only then seeing the small car parked behind the house. It was a car he’d never seen before. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he started putting some pieces of the puzzle together.  No lights on, Blue was badly injured, the way Dani spoke on the phone…

Something definitely wasn’t right, and he had a bad feeling that Dani was inside, and that she was in danger.  Tab stood up, and tried to determine what to do. Knowing he couldn’t go up the steps without Blue following, he leaned down and retied the rope.  Blue looked up at him balefully.

“I know, I know,” Tab rubbed the dog’s ears again in reassurance. “I’ll come get you off in just a min-“

Tab was interrupted when the front door flew open, and he carefully maneuvered himself around the side of the house, pressing himself deeper into the shadows. Blue started barking at whoever had appeared, and Tab saw red when he heard the man’s voice.

It was Chauvin.

“Shut up, dog, or I’ll break your other leg!” Chauvin pounded on the steps with his boot, causing Blue to yelp and run back under the steps.  A few moments later, Tab smelled the cigarette Matt was smoking, and it took everything in him to not run around the corner and smash his face in. A phone started ringing.

“Finally!” Matt barked into receiver. “What took you so long to call back?” 

Silence ensued, and Tab pressed his ear against the wall as he tried to get close without being detected.

“No. The bitch hasn’t signed it yet, but she will.”

Tab’s brows drew together… _Dani?_

“Look…once she signs, we’re good to go. Then you’ll have your money.” Tab could hear Matt pacing back and forth across the porch. “Have I ever not come through?” Matt’s voice was rising with what sounded like anxiety and anger.

“By tomorrow. It’ll be done by tomorrow morning, then it’s just a matter of selling it off.”

“I know…I…fuck…I know! Wait…just wait!”

“Goddamnit!” Chauvin growled, and Tab could tell he’d been hung up on.

A few seconds later, Tab heard the front door slam as Chauvin went back inside.  He stepped out of the shadows, and carefully made his way back over to the dog. He untied Blue and gently lifted the dog and carried him over to his truck where it was parked along the road.  With a whimper, Tab laid Blue down in his front seat. 

“Now be quiet, Blue,” Tab ordered the dog as he shut the door behind him. 

He pulled his cell-phone out and dialed 911, and a few moments later,  headed back down the driveway to Dani’s house. In his hand was his Mossberg 12 gauge, fully loaded and ready to go.  He’d told the sheriff that there was an injured man at Dani’s, and he was gonna see to it that Chauvin was in a world of hurt when the cops finally showed up.

* * *

 

Tab crept along the wall, finally ending up on Dani’s back porch.  He peered into the windows, and was shocked when he saw what was inside.  From where he was, he could see the living room had been destroyed.  Couches were flipped on end, papers were strewn all about.  A book shelf had been tipped over. The whole house seemed to be turned upside down, but Dani was nowhere to be seen, and Tab had to calm himself down, to tell himself that running in was not the best way to handle this.  He had no idea if that asshole Chauvin had a weapon, or if he had hurt Dani, or what the fuck was going on. 

Just then, Chauvin walked back by the windows, a bottle of whiskey in hand as he headed down the hallway.

A few moments later, Tab felt his blood run cold when he heard a scream come from inside. 

_He could wait no longer._  

He tried the doorknob, and was surprised when it opened.  He silently moved inside the door, and closed it behind him. He could hear Chauvin yelling at Dani, and Tab felt his heart rate speed up. He moved down the hall, towards Dani’s room. The door was open, and as he peeked inside, he felt his heart jump up in his throat.  Dani was tied up to the bed, completely naked, save for a thin tank top barely covering her. Her hands were strapped, one to each bed post, and her feet were tied together at the ankles. Her head was bowed down to her chest, and Tab could see what looked like blood smeared on her legs and waist. Chauvin was leaned over her, screaming at her again, and Tab stepped forward.

“Back up, Chauvin,” Tab growled as he trained the shotgun at Matt's back.  The sound of him pumping the shotgun must have gotten the other man's attention, as Matt straightened and stood up, slowly turning around.  On his face was an evil grin, and Tab had to restrain himself from shooting the bastard point blank.  One shot, right between his eyes, would be all it took to end this nightmare for ever.

“Well, well…look who it is, Danielle!” Matt sneered. “You’re boyfriend come to save you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tab saw Dani had started crying, but he didn’t say a word.  He shifted his eyes back to Chauvin, waiting, hoping for the man to do something stupid. A few seconds later, he got his wish, as Chauvin lunged at Tab, attempting to hit him with the bottle of whiskey in his hand.  Tab ducked out of the man’s way, easy now that Chauvin was drunk and stumbling.  When Matt fell into the door, Tab slammed the butt of the shotgun against the back of Matt’s head. The drunk crumpled to the floor, and Tab set in on him like a predator would it’s prey.  He flipped Chauvin over, and repeatedly punched him until there was nothing recognizable on the man’s face. The only reason he stopped was because he heard Dani’s plaintive cry from the bed, calling for him.

"Tab...Tab...please stop...please."

Tab looked over at the bed, and saw Dani, crying still, and he immediately released his grip on Chauvin’s shirt, letting the nearly lifeless carcass fall to the floor at his feet. 

He stood, shakily, and turned his hands over, disgusted when he saw the broken knuckles and blood, both his and Chauvin’s, covering his hands and forearms.  He wiped them off on his jeans as best as possible and quickly made his way over to Dani. She was trembling, just as much as he was, and she wouldn’t meet his eyes.  Tab quickly cut the rope off her hands, his anger flaring again as he saw the red marks around her wrists where the rope had dug in. He cut the rope from between her ankles as well, taking care not to nick her skin, and revealed more red marks and bruises. That asshole had the rope so damn tight! When Dani’s feet were finally free, she quickly pulled them up to her chest, and pulled at the blanket to wrap it around her nearly-naked body.

“Dani?” Tab gently sat down on the bed next to her, but Dani had turned away.  He could see she was shuddering under the blanket, and his heart broke for her. He couldn’t imagine what she was going through…

“Dani. Baby…are you hurt?”  _What a stupid fucking question!_

Tab lightly rested his hand on her shoulder, and winced when she flung it off.  He stood up, took another look at the mess on the floor that was Chauvin, and quietly moved around to the other side of the bed. He knelt down next to it, his eyes level with Dani’s.  She was staring off into the distance, her beautiful brown eyes glossy and blank. Tab carefully placed his palm against her cheek.

“Sweetie, it’s me.  It’s Tab.  Everything’s okay now,” he murmured over and over as his thumb stroked her jaw. He watched as Dani’s eyes began to focus on his face, and she finally recognized him. He smiled at her as he continued stroking her hair and cheek, and Dani’s eyes filled with tears. She crawled off the bed and pushed herself into his arms, and Tab held her tightly against his chest as she sobbed into his neck.  She had wrapped herself around him, much like a child would, and he knew he was never gonna let her go.  Not ever again.

A few minutes later, Tab heard the sirens from the police, and he carefully stood, still holding Dani, and met the officers at the door. After a hasty explanation, the officers headed back to Dani’s room to collect Chauvin, and Tab sat down in a recliner, still holding Dani in his lap, a blanket wrapped around her to cover her nakedness. 

An ambulance showed a few moments later.

The EMT’s had initially been called to for Chauvin, but when they saw Dani, they immediately wanted to look her over. Tab carried Dani back to the spare bedroom, and didn’t leave her side as the EMT did her job. Dani blushed from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair, her body shaking with humiliation as the female EMT took her story and checked her over. Tab was more than relieved to hear Dani say that she’d not been assaulted, and nearly cried himself when he heard the EMT say that Dani had suffered only a few bruises and lacerations from Matt hitting her.

_They all knew it could have been much, much worse._

Dani declined to go to the hospital, and the EMT’s begrudgingly agreed, only under the condition that Tab would take her in if anything else showed up. Tab left Dani in the guest room while he finished up with the police.  45 minutes later, the house was again quiet, and Tab headed back down to the guest room to check on Dani. She was still curled up in the fetal position, her slim body wrapped up in the blanket.

“How’s Blue?” She asked Tab when he entered the room. Her voice sounded so tiny, so weak and weary, and Tab wanted to beat the shit out of Chauvin all over again for the hell he’d put Dani through.

“Let me run out and get him. I put him in my truck.” Tab walked over and kissed Dani on top of her head and headed out.

A few minutes later, he reappeared, carrying Blue in his arms. Tab set the dog down, and Blue whined as he tried to situate himself as comfortably as possible on the dog bed that Tab had dragged into the guest room.

“I’m gonna take him to the vet in the morning,” Tab stated as he sat back down on the bed. Dani was still facing away from him, still huddled under the blanket. “I’m pretty sure that back leg is broken.” Tab looked away from the dog and back at Dani, and he saw her body shaking under the blanket, and he knew she was crying yet again. He scooted over and quickly scooped her back up in his arms.

“Dani…sweetie…what can I do to help?” He rubbed his hands along her back, trying desperately to figure out what to do to make her feel better.

“Can…can…I ta..take a bath?” Dani stuttered out against his chest. “I feel so dirty.”

“Sure thing, baby,” Tab muttered as he hopped off the bed to go run the water in the guest bathroom.

He was doing his best to not get pissed off even more, but his anger was far from abated. He should’ve killed that asshole, that’s what he should have done. He watched, disgusted, as the water turned red from the blood that was washing off his hands. He turned his hands over, letting the water hit his knuckles, and he winced at the rawness there. The skin on his hands was busted wide open.

“Get in with me?” He felt Dani wrap her arms around his back as she pressed herself to him.

“Dani…” Tab started to argue.

“I just don’t want to be alone,” Dani whispered against his back. She started to drop her hands, but Tab gripped them tightly with his, holding her to him.

“Are you sure?” His voice was filled with uncertainty. He didn’t want to push her, and he wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to control himself around her, even with all the things that had happened this evening.

“Please.”

That one word, spoke so timidly, was all it took. He pulled her hands up for a kiss and then turned around to look down at her.

“You wanna go ahead and get in? I’ll get in behind you.”

Dani nodded weakly and moved away from him. In no time at all, she’d stripped bare and had stepped in the tub. Tab took a little longer, still feeling very uncomfortable with the whole thing, but once he turned around, he realized he needn’t be concerned. 

Dani wasn’t even looking at him.

She had her legs drawn up to her chest as she sat in the tub, her forehead pressed to her knees as she hugged herself. There was nothing even remotely sexual about this situation, and he felt the shift in his body as he calmed down.  _Dani needed him, but not like that._   He walked over to the tub.

“I’m gonna get in behind you, sweetie,” Tab repeated, speaking softly. 

Dani did not look at him as she scooted forward, making room for him. as Tab stepped in the tub and sat down, situating himself so that his legs were on either side of Dani. Without waiting for her to ask, he reached forward and pulled her back into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. She turned her body so that she was inclined against him, and she rested her cheek against his chest as she snuggled into his embrace. As he felt her melt into him, he couldn’t control his smile.

She needed him, just as much as he needed her.

As they sat in silence, Tab twirled Dani’s damp curls around his fingers as he tried to make some sense of what had happened today. His nerves were still frazzled, and he knew Dani was still not herself, but at least she was safe, and that was all that mattered right now. 

Outside of all of that, he was really, really confused with what he was feeling. He remembered how shitty he felt when Dani had told him off on the phone, and he remembered distinctly the icy fear that gripped his spine when he realized she was in trouble; he’d felt those things before but not to the level he’d felt with Dani.  But nothing could have ever prepared him for what he felt when he came in the room and saw her tied up on that damn bed.  It was a mixture of rage, and of helplessness, and something he couldn’t quite put a finger on, but in that moment he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was going to kill Matt Chauvin for what he’d done. He was going to physically kill that man – _with his bare hands_ \- and he wouldn’t lose a minute of sleep over it. He didn’t even remember pounding Chauvin’s face into the floor, or the feel of bones cracking under his knuckles, though he’d broken the man’s nose and jaw; even now it was a blank in his mind.  If he’d kept going, he would have ended that dude's life, right there on the floor in Dani’s bedroom.

The only thing that had stopped him was Dani asking him to.

She’d flipped the switch back to the other side, had pulled him back from the brink of doing something he never dreamed he was capable of.  He tightened his arms around her and buried his nose in the curls at the crown of her head. He’d do anything for this woman, to include killing someone if that’s what she wanted him to do.  Any damn thing at all.

He smiled against her hair, finally coming to grips with what he’d been trying to avoid for so long with her. He was completely in love with this curly headed, brown-eyed girl nestled against his chest, and there was not a damn thing he could do about it. Dani had hooked him good, and he smiled again, this time ruefully, as he realized he’d probably started falling for her the moment he’d seen her down at Ruby’s last year. It was crazy how things had a way of coming around, wasn’t it?

_Now all he had to do was convince her that she loved him as much as he loved her…_


	21. Chapter 21

  
Dani peeked out from under the blanket as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight streaming in through the window. She was disoriented, and had no idea how long she had been asleep. She looked down at the sheets, realizing she didn't even know where she was.  It seemed familiar, but she couldn't get her mind to put the pieces together. 

Without even moving, she could feel the remnants of the past 24 hours. Her entire body ached, and the more she woke up, the more she hurt. Her brain was still fuzzy, though,  just as were her memories. All she remembered was being at Tab’s, setting up the tree and other decorations, and then Matt showed up.  After that, it was blurs, and disjointed pictures of what had happened.  With a groan, she sat up, but immediately regretted it.

Her stomach fought back against her movements, and with a moan, she slid off the bed, dragging the sheet with her as she nearly crawled to the bathroom.  She made it there just in time to empty what was left in her stomach, and her head throbbed hard with each painful heave.

“Baby? You alright?”

It was Tab.  

Tab was there, rubbing her back, and holding her hair back out of her face.  He had wet a rag, and pressed it to her forehead. Dani, finally having thrown up as much as she could, sagged against the wall in a dizzy respite.  She opened her eyes for just a moment, but closed them as the world started spinning again.

“Tab?” she croaked out pitifully.  She broke out in a cold sweat, goosebumps covering her skin as the waves of nausea rolled over her.

“Yeah, baby, it’s me. I’m right here.” He sat down next to her on the bathroom floor, the cool rag still pressed against her clammy skin. Without waiting for an invite, Dani moved closer to him and lay down, her head resting against his thighs.  Tab continued to rub her back as he held the rag to her skin.

“Where am I?” Dani whispered.

“I brought ya back to my place, sweetie,” Tab admitted.  He shifted a bit, pulling her closer to him, and draped an arm over her shoulders. “I thought it would be best.”

“Thank you,” Dani whispered again. She closed her eyes, willing -- _begging_ \-- the world to stop spinning. The rag was offering a measure of relief at least, but she still felt very, very woozy.

“I think we need to get you something to eat, baby,” Tab stated as he ran a hand over her hair. “It’ll help.”

“Please don’t mention food, okay?”

“Dani, ya gotta at least drink something,” Tab countered. “WIll ya at least try and drink some water for me?”

Not able to fight, Dani weakly nodded.  She didn’t protest when Tab scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to his bed. He lay her down gently, taking care to tuck her in. 

“I’m just gonna get you something to drink. Be right back.”  He kissed her forehead before he placed the rag back against her skin.

A few moments later he reappeared, bottle of water in hand along with a 7Up. Dani cracked a feeble smile at the old wives’ remedy.  Seeing her smile, Tab grinned back.

“What?” He sat down next to her and unscrewed the lid off the soda.

“7Up, huh?”

“Cures everything. You know that.” He scooted forward, soda in hand. “Can you drink a little?”

Nodding, Dani let Tab help her drink from the soda, and she was surprised that her appetite actually began to grow somewhat.  Her stomach growled, earning a chuckle from Tab at the noise.

“I’m gonna go get you some toast, or something, okay?”

“Uhhhh,” Dani groaned at the thought of food, her brows drawn together in revulsion.   _Just because her stomach growled didn’t mean her nausea had subsided!!_

“Ya gotta eat something, baby girl,” Tab kissed her on her forehead once more before leaving the room.  Dani sighed, knowing it was no use, and a few moments later, Tab reappeared with toast in hand.

“Just try and eat a little, okay?” He sat down at the edge of the bed and held the toast up for her. Dani reluctantly took a small bite, and was again shocked when she felt the hunger pains gnawing inside her.  She finished the entire piece of toast in no time, much to Tab’s delight.

“I can make good toast, huh?” he teased playfully, earning a smile from Dani.

“Best toast I’ve ever had,” Dani chuckled as she scooted back down into the blankets, burrowing herself in the sheets.  While she still felt pretty bad, at least she felt better; the toast and soda had helped for sure.  

“Smartass,” Tab smiled as he set the plate back on the bedside table, and stood up. 

“Lay down with me?” Dani whispered up at him.

For whatever reason, she started feeling emotional, and the thought of Tab leaving her was causing her anxiety to rise again. She could feel her chest beginning to ache as her heart started beating faster and faster. Without a word, Tab walked around to the other side of the bed, and pulled off his tee-shirt before climbing in bed beside Dani. She scooted over to him, and wrapped herself around him.

“Dani?” Tab asked in concern once he realized she was shaking. “What’s going on?” He wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight to his chest.

“I don’t know,” Dani admitted.  Her teeth were chattering, and she couldn’t stop shaking.  Tab turned, and hugged her to his chest, doing his best to try to calm her down.

“Did I ever tell you about the time I caught that big ass alligator on my little bait caster?” Tab’s breath brushed against Dani’s forehead as his hand rubbed lazy circles over her shoulder blades.  

‘What?” Dani trembled against him as she tried to focus on his words, on his touch. 

“Yeah. I was down Bayou Dulac, screwin’ around, ya know,  just tossing a line, and next thing you know I get a bite.  I start reeling it in, and I get it up to the boat, and I shit you not, it was damn alligator.”

Dani snorted against his chest.

“What? You don’t believe me?” Tab’s chuckle rumbled through his chest, vibrating against Dani’s cheeks. His chest hair tickled,  and she couldn’t control the small giggle that escaped.

“If I’m lyin’, I’m dyin’,” Tab laughed again as he hugged her tight.   _He was so damned relieved to hear her laughter!_

“Then what?”

“Well, that big boy come up alongside the boat, and I’m there, a beer in hand and nothing else.  He’s pissed and growling at me, hittin’ my damn boat with his tail. I’m freaking the fuck out, ya know?”

“Did he pop your line?” Dani asked around a yawn.

“He pulled my whole damn pole in the water!” Tab’s voice had grown indignant, and Dani laughed again.

“Why you laughin’ at me?” he grumbled against her, causing Dani to laugh even harder.

“Cause I can picture you out there, losing your pole and being all pissed!” Dani continued laughing at him.  Tab hugged her tighter as his deep laughter rumbled again in his chest.

“You’re lucky I love you so much.”

Dani stilled in his arms, her eyes popping wide open at his words.

“That shut ya up real quick, didn’t it?” Tab ran his hands along her back.

“Tab…I…I don’t…” Dani stuttered. She tried to pull back, to lift her head and look at him, but Tab held her to his chest.

“You don’t have to say anythin’, sweetie,” Tab murmured against her hair. “I just needed to say it.  Last night made me realize how much time I was wasting, and I ain’t gonna do that again.” He kissed her on her forehead and hugged her tight. “Not with you.”

Sniffling, at a loss for words, Dani wrapped her arms tighter around him and snuggled into his chest. Not knowing what else to do, she planted a sweet kiss in the middle of his chest, and Tab squeezed her a little harder.  

She was on the verge of tears, and she wasn't sure whether they were happy or not.  She clenched her eyes shut in an effort to ward off the hot tears that were trying to spill out.  

She didn't know what she was feeling right now.  She wanted to tell him she was still terrified, and that the overwhelming sense of dread was dancing just outside the cocoon of his arms, taunting her and doing it's best to drag her away.  She wanted to tell him that she was on the verge of losing it again, and that she was terrified of losing her mind.   She wanted to apologize for being such a brat, and for treating him so bad over such little things.  To thank him for taking such good care of her and Blue.  To apologize for not giving him the benefit of the doubt, and to confess that she'd not been honest about Matt.   She wanted to say she was sorry, that she was so, so sorry for everything.  

She wanted to tell him so many things, but mostly she wanted to tell him that he was the last thing that went through her mind right before she'd blacked out.

_She wanted to tell him that she loved him, too._


End file.
